Unintended consequences of in-store technology for frontline employees: An empirics-first approach
研究发现服装店安装自动数字屏幕虽提升便利性，却限制了一线员工的额外角色行为，导致顾客体验变差、消费减少，尤其在需要员工互动的情境中。
Abstract This work illustrates a case in which the implementation of automated digital screens in an apparel retail store led to unintended side effects involving decreased customer spending. Using an empirics-first approach, researchers have investigated this topic through the conducting of field experiments, intercept surveys, and online experiments involving both consumers and frontline employees (FLEs). In this research, the unintended outcomes of technology implementation are first revealed, and then the potential reasons and boundary conditions underlying those outcomes are explored. The findings indicate that while automated digital screens increase customer convenience, they can also restrict the ability of FLEs to perform extrarole behavior. This restriction results in a negative shopping experience and reduced spending, particularly in settings in which FLE interaction is critical. The research also reveals that reintroducing extrarole behavior in the presence of technology can offset this negative effect. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are then discussed, and future research directions are proposed.