Customer perceptions of smart human–AI service experiences and revisit intention: The mediating effects of pleasure, arousal, and dominance and the moderating role of digital literacy
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Received May 18, 2026;Accepted August 27, 2026;Published September 24, 2026
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Author(s)Abdulaziz Abdullah ObaidLink to ORCID Index: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-2981-888X
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Ahmed Dheyauldeen SalahaldinLink to ORCID Index: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2009-7762
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DOIhttp://dx.doi.org/10.21511/im.22(3).2026.23
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Article InfoVolume 22 2026, Issue #3, pp. 372–386
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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Type of the article: Research Article
Abstract
Customer perceptions of smart human–AI service experiences are important for understanding how AI-enabled hospitality services influence guests’ behavioral responses. As hotels integrate artificial intelligence into frontline service encounters, understanding how these perceptions shape revisit intention is critical in hospitality marketing. This study examines how customer perceptions of smart human–AI service experiences affect revisit intention, with pleasure, arousal, and dominance serving as mediators within the Pleasure–Arousal–Dominance (PAD) framework. It also investigates the moderating role of digital literacy. Data were collected from guests at four- and five-star hotels in Iraq that offer AI-enabled service experiences. A sampling approach yielded 927 responses, which were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Results show that customer perceptions of smart human–AI service experiences significantly enhance pleasure (β = 0.513, p < 0.001), arousal (β = 0.529, p < 0.001), and dominance (β = 0.412, p < 0.001), but have no significant direct effect on revisit intention. Mediation analysis indicates that pleasure and dominance significantly mediate this relationship, whereas the indirect effect through arousal is not significant. Digital literacy exhibits differentiated moderating effects by strengthening the pleasure–revisit intention relationship, showing no significant effect on the arousal–revisit intention relationship, and weakening the dominance–revisit intention relationship. This study contributes to hospitality marketing by demonstrating that smart human–AI service experiences influence revisit intention primarily through emotional responses rather than directly. The findings show that digital literacy varies across emotional dimensions, offering practical guidance for designing customer-centered, AI-enabled hospitality services more effectively.
Acknowledgment
The authors extend sincere gratitude to the University of Anbar, notably the College of Administration and Economics, for their continuous academic support and for providing the institutional environment that enabled the successful completion of this research. The intellectual and infrastructural resources made available by the university were essential in facilitating the study’s theoretical development and empirical implementation.
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JEL Classification (Paper profile tab)O33, M15, M12, M31, D83
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References41
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Tables9
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Figures3
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- Figure 1. Research conceptual model
- Figure 2. Structural model results (SmartPLS output)
- Figure 3. Structural model results (SmartPLS output) – with moderator
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- Table 1. Demographic characteristics of the respondents
- Table 2. Alpha, CR, and AVE
- Table 3. Assessment of loadings and significance statistics
- Table 4. Discriminant validity assessment using HTMT and Fornell-Larcker criteria
- Table 5. Direct relationships
- Table 6. Specific indirect effects and mediation type
- Table 7. Overall effects of the mediation model
- Table 8. Moderation analysis
- Table A1. Research constructs, measurement scales, and references
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Data curation
Abdulaziz Abdullah Obaid
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Investigation
Abdulaziz Abdullah Obaid
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Project administration
Abdulaziz Abdullah Obaid
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Writing – review & editing
Abdulaziz Abdullah Obaid
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Conceptualization
Ahmed Dheyauldeen Salahaldin
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Formal Analysis
Ahmed Dheyauldeen Salahaldin
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Methodology
Ahmed Dheyauldeen Salahaldin
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Validation
Ahmed Dheyauldeen Salahaldin
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Writing – original draft
Ahmed Dheyauldeen Salahaldin
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Data curation
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Civil servants’ readiness for AI adoption: The role of change management in Morocco’s public sector
Problems and Perspectives in Management Volume 23, 2025 Issue #1 pp. 63-75 Views: 7398 Downloads: 1491 TO CITE АНОТАЦІЯThe rapid digital transformation of public systems has improved interactions between governments and citizens. In Morocco, while efforts to digitalize public administration continue, the integration of artificial intelligence presents new challenges due to structural and technical limitations. This study explores the openness of Moroccan civil servants to adopting artificial intelligence solutions and examines the role of change management in facilitating this process. A quantitative approach was employed, with 129 civil servants from key ministries – Education, Finance, and Health – completing an online questionnaire. These ministries were selected due to their critical importance in the public system and their frequent interactions with citizens. Furthermore, they played a central role in the National Administrative Reform Plan (2018–2022), which emphasized digital transformation as a key pillar in advancing e-government. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS, enabling a comprehensive analysis of the factors influencing AI adoption. The findings reveal that while younger civil servants are more open to AI, over 40% of respondents pointed to insufficient digital skills as a major barrier to artificial intelligence integration. The study underscores the importance of effective change management strategies, highlighting that strong leadership and clear communication are essential in promoting artificial intelligence receptiveness and ensuring seamless integration within Morocco’s public sector.
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The role of financial literacy, digital literacy, and financial self-efficacy in FinTech adoption
Investment Management and Financial Innovations Volume 21, 2024 Issue #2 pp. 370-380 Views: 6477 Downloads: 1702 TO CITE АНОТАЦІЯThe primary aim of this study is to delve into the factors influencing individuals’ readiness to embrace financial technology (FinTech) services in Bangladesh. Specifically, the study focused on Bangladeshi fintech consumer’s knowledge about contemporary digital financial tools, such as mobile-based payment service apps. Data collection was carried out using a survey questionnaire tailored to the Bangladeshi context. Participants were invited to participate in the survey, and their responses were gathered upon their consent. A five-point Likert scale, ranging from ‘1’ for ‘Strongly Disagree’ to ‘5’ for ‘Strongly Agree,’ was employed to gauge the questionnaire items. The final sample size was 450 respondents. To assess the hypotheses, a 5% significance level was employed, with data analysis conducted using SPSS software. The findings underscore a positive and statistically significant impact of financial literacy, digital literacy, and financial self-efficacy on the adoption of FinTech services in Bangladesh. Collectively, these variables elucidate 48.20% of the variance (R2=0.482) in predicting individuals’ adoption behavior of FinTech. Financial self-efficacy (β = 0.574; t-value = 8.394) has the highest effect on FinTech adoption compared to the other two factors. Additionally, a substantial correlation coefficient (r=0.634) is present between digital literacy and FinTech adoption. This study contributes to the extant literature on FinTech services by providing valuable insights that enhance scholars’ understanding of the emerging financial technologies’ significance and their predominant impacts within the Bangladeshi FinTech ecosystem. These findings hold implications for policymakers, financial institutions, and stakeholders seeking to promote FinTech adoption and foster financial inclusion in Bangladesh.
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The influence of store atmospherics on customers’ satisfaction at selected South African retail outlets
Richard Mfundi Ndengane , Roger B. Mason
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Misheck Mutize
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.21511/im.17(1).2021.03
Innovative Marketing Volume 17, 2021 Issue #1 pp. 26-39 Views: 4146 Downloads: 3444 TO CITE АНОТАЦІЯIn the retail environment, customers are stimulated by the look and feel of a store and how it is laid out. Certain store elements create an atmosphere that attracts customers to certain outlets as their preferred shopping destination. Therefore, retailers need to ensure the customers’ shopping experience is enjoyable. This study aimed to examine the influence of atmospheric store elements on the factors that influence customers` satisfaction. A quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted in four retail outlets in Cape Town, South Africa, with data collected through a structured questionnaire distributed to the outlets’ customers. A systematic random sample of 388 responses was achieved. The information collected was analyzed using relevant descriptive and inferential statistics. Although small, positive correlations were found between the independent variables (cleanliness, lighting, music, floor adverts, employee efficient service, employee appearance) and the dependent variables (positive image of store, pleasant mood, time spent in store, intention to revisit store). As such, the study highlighted the importance of store atmospherics to the factors that encourage customers` satisfaction. Since little research has been done into store atmospherics in the South African context of grocery stores, this study has contributed new knowledge in this field.

