Date of Award
Fall 2023
Document Type
Open Access Dissertation
Department
School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management
First Advisor
Haemoon Oh
Abstract
The hospitality and tourism industry has increasingly prioritized environmental concerns, driving the adoption of green practices and communication strategies. This dissertation investigates the role of AI voice assistants in hotel rooms in promoting pro-environmental behavior, recognizing the importance of fostering environmental mindfulness through technology and behavioral interventions. This research explores the influence of voice attributes and message content on consumers' pro-environmental behavior when conveyed through AI voice assistants. It specifically focuses on the marketing cue of Kindchenschema cuteness by examining how a baby-like voice in AI voice assistants may enhance pro-environmental communication, a topic rarely addressed in the hospitality and tourism sector. Additionally, it explores three types of message content: message orientation (prevention- vs. promotion-focused), benefit relevance (self-benefits vs. corporate benefits), and temporal distance (imminent vs. distant future), and their combined impacts with voice attributes on perceived responsibility, attitudes, and intentions to engage in pro-environmental behavior. Understanding the interplay between voice attributes and message content in AI voice assistant communication can guide the development of effective strategies to encourage pro-environmental behavior. This dissertation consists of three 2 X 2 experimental design studies. The findings reveal nuanced interactions between message content, voice attributes, and their effects on pro-environmental behavior. Study 1 demonstrates the effectiveness of the baby-like voice in promoting pro-environmental behavioral intention in message orientation context. Study 2 highlights the adult voice's power in communicating broader societal or corporate benefits related to pro-environmental behavior, emphasizing the role of voice attributes in a benefit relevance context. Notably, moderation effects were identified, with higher attitudes observed when a message highlighting self-benefits was delivered in a baby-like voice, while messages emphasizing corporate benefits in an adult voice led to higher positive attitudes. In Study 3, a main effect of temporal distance emerged, indicating that emphasizing the imminent future is more effective than the distant future in promoting pro-environmental behavior. However, neither voice attribute directly influenced pro-environmental behavior when combined with messages emphasizing temporal distance, highlighting the context-dependent nature of voice effects. In summary, this research underscores the need for tailored pro-environmental messaging strategies that consider the dynamic interactions between message content and voice attributes. As AI voice assistants become increasingly prevalent in the hospitality and tourism industry, understanding their role in promoting environmental sustainability is essential. This research bridges a significant gap in the literature, providing insights into how AI voice assistants' pro-environmental messages influence consumer perceived responsibility, attitudes, and intentions. These findings have broader implications for sustainability efforts across various industries, contributing to the development of effective pro-environmental communication techniques.
Rights
© 2024, Somang Min
Recommended Citation
Min, S.(2023). Effects of AI Voice Assistants’ Messages on Pro-environmnetal Consumer Behavior: Message Content and Voice Attributes. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/7568