Creating Smart Experience in Human-to-Machine Interactions the Role of Frontline Ambidexterity

This study investigates and compares the effects of frontline ambidexterity and their components implemented by AI chatbots on hedonic and cognitive smart experience co-creation. The findings first indicate that unlike human frontline employees, chatbots’ frontline ambidexterity is not an imperative trigger of higher performance. Only efficiency-flexibility ambidexterity and ambidextrous products selling are beneficial for customer patronage, while service-sales ambidexterity is detrimental for crafting smart experience. Furthermore, relationship-oriented frontline behaviors (i.e., customer service, flexibility) are more influential in enhancing hedonic smart experience co-creation, while task-oriented frontline behaviors (i.e., cross-selling, efficiency) are more effective in improving cognitive smart experience co-creation. The results also reveal that hedonic dimension of smart experience co-creation has a stronger impact on customer patronage than cognitive dimension. This study contributes to the literature on frontline ambidexterity and smart experience co-creation, and also provides meaningful guidance for service providers regarding the deployment of AI chatbots in the frontline interface