Artificial intelligence digital employees and sustainable innovation in online retail: The mediating role of ambidextrous green innovation and the moderating role of ethical anxiety

IF 11 1区管理学 Q1 BUSINESS

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services Pub Date : 2025-01-27 DOI:10.1016/j.jretconser.2025.104235

Shaofeng Wang , Hao Zhang

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming businesses across industries, driving an increased focus on sustainable innovation for long-term competitiveness. Within the online retail sector, AI-powered digital employees are emerging as key players in this transformation. This study investigates how AI digital employee adoption influences future sustainable innovation performance in online retail, examining the mediating roles of ambidextrous green innovation and the moderating effect of ethical anxiety. Drawing on the Antecedents-Behaviour-Consequences (ABC) model, we propose an Adoption-Innovations-Future Performance (AIF) framework to examine these relationships in the context of TikTok online retailers. Using a two-wave time-lagged survey of 302 online retailers, we find that digital employee adoption positively affects exploitative and exploratory green innovation, which in turn enhances future sustainable innovation performance. Digital employee ethical anxiety negatively moderates the relationship between adoption and green innovation but strengthens the positive link between adoption and future performance. The fsQCA results reveal three configurations leading to high sustainable innovation performance. This research contributes to the literature on digital transformation in retail and consumer services by elucidating the complex mechanisms through which digital employees influence organizational outcomes. The findings offer important implications for retailers seeking to leverage digital technologies for sustainability in their operations and customer service.

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人工智能、数字化员工与网络零售可持续创新：双灵巧绿色创新的中介作用和伦理焦虑的调节作用

人工智能（AI）的扩散正在迅速改变各行各业的业务，推动人们更加关注可持续创新以获得长期竞争力。在在线零售领域，人工智能驱动的数字员工正在成为这一转型的关键参与者。本研究探讨了人工智能数字化员工对在线零售企业未来可持续创新绩效的影响，考察了双灵巧绿色创新的中介作用和伦理焦虑的调节作用。利用前因-行为-后果（ABC）模型，我们提出了一个采用-创新-未来绩效（AIF）框架来研究TikTok在线零售商背景下的这些关系。通过对302家在线零售商的两波时间滞后调查，我们发现数字化员工的采用对开发性和探索性绿色创新有积极影响，进而提高未来可持续创新绩效。数字化员工伦理焦虑负向调节采用与绿色创新之间的关系，但加强了采用与未来绩效之间的正相关。fsQCA结果揭示了三种配置导致高可持续创新绩效。本研究通过阐明数字化员工影响组织成果的复杂机制，为零售和消费者服务领域的数字化转型文献做出了贡献。研究结果为零售商寻求利用数字技术在其运营和客户服务中实现可持续性提供了重要启示。

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来源期刊

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services BUSINESS-

CiteScore

20.40

自引率

14.40%

发文量

340

审稿时长

20 days

期刊介绍： The Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services is a prominent publication that serves as a platform for international and interdisciplinary research and discussions in the constantly evolving fields of retailing and services studies. With a specific emphasis on consumer behavior and policy and managerial decisions, the journal aims to foster contributions from academics encompassing diverse disciplines. The primary areas covered by the journal are: Retailing and the sale of goods The provision of consumer services, including transportation, tourism, and leisure.