Over the past decade, demand for medical services has increased, with implications for levels of care. Healthcare organizations have sought to improve their response to the users' needs and questions making use of chatbots that leverage artificial intelligence (AI), paying little attention to building an empathic relationship that can emotionally match the chatbot's responses to the questions asked (prompts). This article provides a systematic review of the marketing literature on prompts in healthcare and on the empathic responsiveness of chatbots in relation to emotional aspects. In accordance with the guidelines recommended by the PRISMA framework, a five-step review was conducted, starting with a focus group to identify some key terms. Based on scientific articles published in the past five years, key limitations were identified and a series of propositions were theorized. The study identifies benefits and future development of conversation support strategies for more effective and empathetic chatbots in healthcare.

The aim of this study is to analyze whether disvalues-that is, undesirable traits and emotions that have a negative impact on the individual and are reflected in the Seven Deadly Sins (anger, envy, gluttony, greed, lust, pride, and sloth) and the Dark Triad traits (narcissism, machiavellianism, and psychopathy)-have a predictive power for pathological and uncontrollable shopping behavior (compulsive shopping). Two studies were conducted on as many consumer samples to examine the relationship between disvalues and compulsive shopping behavior and the influence of personality traits on this relationship. The results of Study 1 confirmed that anger, envy, gluttony, and pride, as well as psychopathy directly influence compulsive shopping behavior. In addition, two types of consumers were identified: those who are guided by values (Sober and Light consumers) and those who are guided by disvalues (Vicious and Dark consumers). Only the latter exhibit a high levels of compulsive shopping behavior. Study 2 found that personality traits (in terms of the Big Five factors) moderate the relationship between disvalues and compulsive shopping behavior. More specifically, this relationship is negatively moderated by conscientiousness and agreeableness, and positively moderated by neuroticism.

Purpose This paper delves into evaluating the effectiveness of warning messages as a deterrent against excessive fat consumption. It examines how consumers perceive the fat content of food products when presented with two distinct label types: (1) a textual warning, providing succinct information about the fat content, and (2) a pictorial warning, offering a visual representation that immediately signifies the fat content. Design/methodology/approach Two quantitative studies were carried out. Study 1 employed a questionnaire to evaluate the efficacy of textual and pictorial warning messages on high- and low-fat food products. Similarly, Study 2 replicated this comparison while incorporating a neuromarketing instrument to gauge participants’ cerebral reactions. Findings Results indicate that pictorial warnings on high-fat foods significantly deter consumers’ purchasing intentions. Notably, these pictorial warnings stimulate the left prefrontal area of the cerebral cortex, inducing negative emotions in consumers and driving them away from high-fat food items. Originality/value While the influence of images over text in shaping consumer decisions is well understood in marketing, this study accentuates the underlying mechanism of such an impact through the elicitation of negative emotions. By understanding this emotional pathway, the paper presents fresh academic and managerial perspectives, underscoring the potency of pictorial warnings in guiding consumers towards healthier food choices. Highlights Textual warnings do not seem to discourage high-fat product consumption. A pictorial warning represents the fat content of an equivalent product. Pictorial warnings decrease the intention to purchase a high-fat product. Pictorial warnings determine an increase in negative emotions.

Background: The primary objective of this investigation is to scrutinize the underlying motivations that may prompt those responsible for health to adopt models of collaborative consumption (CC) as business innovation. Furthermore, the study seeks to assess the congruence of determinants influencing the intention to utilize CC in healthcare, comparing perspectives between responsible for health and digital health consumers. Methods: Two studies based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) have been conducted. Study 1 uses a qualitative approach to analyze the determinants in use CC in healthcare of responsible for health of the Italian’s National Health Service. Study 2 uses a quantitative approach to analyze a sample of healthcare consumers, their salient beliefs, digital health literacy, and perceived own health status in determining the intention to use CC in healthcare. Results: Responsible for health recognize both the benefits, like improved efficiency, and the drawbacks, such as digital illiteracy and privacy concerns. Consumer data reveals that attitudes, social norms, perceived control, and digital literacy significantly influence the intention to use CC in healthcare, with education and age being moderating factors, whereas income is not impactful. Conclusion: The research ends with a discussion of these findings and their strategic implications for managing decision support systems in healthcare. The research highlights the need for innovation-based strategies in the health system, proposing a new socio-technical health domain to improve management through a participatory approach. The approach emphasizes business innovation, service quality, and cost-efficiency. Finally, the research addresses the gaps highlighted in CC in healthcare adoption, underscoring public-private collaboration and practical strategies for sustainable success.

In healthcare, chatbots are used to automate interactions between healthcare professionals and patients. To make these conversations realistic, designers anthropomorphized chatbots (e.g., attributed human characteristics to chatbot) by equipping them with personality (warmth/competence), attributable gender (male/female), and role (prevention/diagnosis/therapy). Notwithstanding, scholarly inquiry has predominantly disregarded these factors when ascertaining the proclivity of individuals to utilize chatbots in healthcare. Based on human-machine interactions and counter-stereotypes theories, the aim of this research is to evaluate the conditions under which chatbot anthropomorphism can increase users' satisfaction and intention of using related services. Analyses conducted on a sample of 1147 users show that chatbots' personality does not directly influence intention of being used in healthcare. Instead, this relationship is mediated by chatbots' perceived credibility and user satisfaction, and moderated by chatbots' anthropomorphism, gender, and role. Specifically, when there is a mismatch between chatbot's gender and its stereotypical descriptive property (i.e., competence for female chatbots; warmth for male chatbots), the chatbot is more credible, satisfying, and inviting to use. Moreover, chatbots with female anthropomorphic characteristics or with a low level of anthropomorphism are better suited for prevention roles such as counseling, while chatbots with male characteristics are more appropriate for therapeutic roles.

Perceptions of negative events related to service disruptions, negative consumer associations with other brand users, or business activities not in line with consumer ethical standards can lead consumers to abandon and change a brand. Focusing on a low-cost airline company, the study analyses how negative events can affect brand loyalty by considering the mediating effect of consumers’ psychological characteristics in terms of difficulty in choosing between alternatives (choice difficulty) and tendency to switch brands (brand switcher). The paper tests two hypotheses by administering a structured questionnaire to a sample of 260 tourists and shows that: (1) brand switcher negatively mediates the relationship between negative events and brand loyalty; (2) choice difficulty positively mediates the relationship between negative events and brand loyalty. The findings carry theoretical and managerial implications and confirms the value of communication strategies in increasing brand loyalty.

The circular format is a cluster of heterogeneous stores under the same brand within the city center through the store-outside-a-store strategy. The purpose is to demonstrate that the circular format has a positive impact on store image, self-congruity, retail brand experience, and store patronage. Shopping values were also considered as moderators. Three studies conducted in Italy reveal that: a. the consumers of the circular format have higher store patronage than those of the traditional format; b. such patronage is moderated by hedonic shopping value; and c. the relationship between the circular format and store patronage is mediated by self-congruity and retail brand experience through store image.

This study investigated consumers' perceptions of green products derived from a circular economy production, by shedding light on the role of perceived social welfare. Furthermore, the paper considered two moderators: perceptual variables on green products and psychological variables on the environment. The analysis was performed in the aquaculture sector—specifically referring to Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) production as a research setting. Respondents received a structured questionnaire containing scales that measured perceived social welfare, environmentalism, green product's perception (in terms of price, quality and usefulness), purchase intention, and word-of-mouth. The results revealed an inverse relationship between perceived social welfare and the behavioral variables. Consumers were more attracted to and focused on the green product's usefulness than its price and quality. Moreover, the study found that environmentalism (in terms of environmental concern and perceived consumer effectiveness) moderate the effect of perceived social welfare on dependent variables. By exploring the role of perceived social welfare as a regressor, this study improves our understanding of consumers' behavior toward green products.

Chatbots are technological tools equipped with artificial intelligence that allow companies to interact with their consumers. Through their computers or mobile devices, consumers can use this technology to search for information, make purchases or request after-sales services. This study aims to identify the role of attitude toward chatbots and privacy concern in the relationship between attitude toward mobile advertising and behavioral intent to use chatbots. After reviewing the literature, the study proposes a moderated mediation model. Through a survey, the study shows that attitude toward mobile advertising does not have a direct effect on the behavioral intent to use chatbot, but is rather mediated by one’s attitude toward chatbots. In fact, the interactivity is unidirectional in the case of mobile advertising (from the company to the consumer), but bidirectional in the case of chatbots (in which consumers have an active role in communication). In line with these assumptions, the data analysis shows that internet privacy concerns only negatively moderate the relationship between attitude toward chatbots and behavioral intent to use this technology. These results can be useful for companies and researchers in terms of developing and testing new digital marketing strategies. The paper concludes with a discussion of the results’ theoretical and managerial implications.

There are few works in literature that study the relationship between tourist destination image and tourist destination personality. The present study starting from the relationship between image and personality tries to analyze how this relationship can strengthen the identification of tourists with the destination itself and consequently behavioral responses. The results will highlight a strong impact of image on some personality traits of the destination and how these personality traits have an effect on the the effective, ideal, social and social ideal destination self congruity and on the intentions of return and word of mouth. The work ends with a discussion on the theoretical and managerial implications in terms of destination branding strategies.

In this paper we analyze the evolution of the role of the sales manager and of the sales force in a relational perspective of value creation in businessto-business contexts, included in the sale of prescription drugs, in Italy.The empirical research and the strategic implications are to highlight the importance of the customer-supplier relationship in business to business context and the role of the sales force in managing long-lasting relationships with customers.The work ends with the study of a task force model for easier market access by pharmaceutical companies and an expected value proposition through the sharing of knowledge and the creation of partnerships.

Drawing from studies on relational capital value and the importance accorded to the satisfaction, we analyzed the relationship between industrial and commercial customers. A gap in literature is due to the major focus on business-to-consumer relationship and a consequent less importance reserved to the business-to-business sector. The effects of variables related to the supplier’s product offering, marketing actions, and aftersales assistance in determining dealer satisfaction and trust have been relatively neglected. We applied industrial consumer satisfaction model to the context of automotive sector and integrated it with other strategic variables as trust and reputation. We argue that supply chain success is also due to dealer satisfaction and propose causal linkages in which dealer satisfaction is recognized as an antecedent of trust and reputation. Empirical results confirm the importance of dealer satisfaction in the process of building a lasting relationship between buyers and sellers.

Obiettivi . Il lavoro di ricerca si propone di verificare l’esistenza di un orientamento alla sostenibilita da parte delle imprese farmaceutiche, sia a livello di filosofia di governo che nell’operativita e nella prassi. Metodologia . Lo studio si basa su un’intervista ad un informatore chiave del settore farmaceutico e su un case study realizzato attraverso la raccolta di dati on line provenienti dalla somministrazione di un questionario semi-strutturato indirizzato alla direzione generale di una multinazionale farmaceutica. Risultati . Si rileva un nuovo modello di business incentrato sugli “health outcomes” ovvero su una nuova proposizione di valore sostenibile apportato al sistema sanitario e ai suoi pazienti attraverso la realizzazione di progetti innovativi di partnership con le aziende sanitarie ed altri stakeholder utilizzando un’efficace corporate communication che alimenta il capitale reputazionale. Limiti della ricerca . Lo studio e di natura esplorativa e preliminare e quindi la sua validita non puo essere generalizzata. Inoltre la verifica dell’orientamento sostenibile prende in considerazione dati provenienti dalla direzione dell’impresa e non dal mercato. Implicazioni pratiche . L’orientamento sostenibile e le relazioni intersistemiche faciliterebbero la creazione e la gestione delle reti di patologia, delle reti assistenziali e la verticalizzazione della ricerca in un’ottica di relazione duratura con i medici, con i pazienti e le associazioni scientifiche ed indirettamente di promozione dei farmaci trasformando la prospettiva relazionale dell’impresa farmaceutica vissuta in chiave difensiva in un’opportunita di crescita strategica. Originalita del lavoro . Lo studio dei concetti di sustainable corporation, corporate social responsability e corporate communication applicati in chiave sistemica al settore farmaceutico e stato poco esplorato in letteratura.

The study focuses on temporary shops, the recent communication and distribution innovation, based on the customers experience, used by firms in order to improve interaction with customers and to reinforce brand loyalty and equity. The study aims to analyze the development of these new retail formats that can generate value for both the company and the consumer. Before contributions are identified in the literature to be necessary for the analysis of the temporary shop and then the impact of this format on the consumer through a fact-finding. The survey shows that consumers make impulse purchases in the temporary shop facilitated by psychological involvement in the purchase of a brand, by shopping experience and high gratification resulting from the store atmosphere. Finally the paper highlights the role of location in influencing the attractiveness of the store and the perceptions of effectiveness of the service components are not directly and exclusively related to shop. KEY WORDS temporary shop | distribution innovation | experiential marketing | store atmosphere | shopping experience | event experience | location and place attachment.