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Purpose This paper aims to recall the attention on a key challenge for customer relationship management related to the role of human agents in the management of the “switch point” for ensuring the effectiveness and efficiency in a customer-machine conversation. Design/methodology/approach This study contributes to the discussion about the firms’ approach to artificial intelligence (AI) in frontline interactions under the conceptual umbrella provided by knowledge management studies. Findings This paper provides a theoretical model for clarifying the role of human intelligence (HI) in AI-based frontline interactions by highlighting the relevance of the actors’ subjectivity in the dynamics and perceptions of customer-machine conversations. Originality/value An AI-HI complementarity matrix is proposed in spite of the still dominant replacement view.

This study is aimed at providing some insights about the Italian listed companies approach to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) disclosure. A reference framework and a tested investigation model used for analyzing the Italian approach to ESG disclosure have been reported and discussed. Drawing on the Sustainability Helix Model, the results of a study conducted on the Non-Financial Statements of a sample of Italian listed companies on the basis of manual content analysis, and conducted to grasp their disposition and approach to ESG disclosure, are discussed. The study pointed out some specific characteristics of the Italian companies’ approach to ESG disclosure, which still suffer from voluntary and, therefore, somewhat a variety of practices. In this sense, policy and science should better support companies through specific laws and regulations as well as through learning/enhancing projects towards more effective ESG reporting and communication. The analysis offers interesting insights for public institutions, academy and companies on the way to further exploit and supporting ESG disclosure. The originality of this study lies upon the implementation of the Sustainability Helix Model to investigate the importance that open dialogue and shared action of the various actors involved can have in enhancing companies’ awareness about the importance of a strategic approach to sustainability and to its disclosure to gain the consensus of external stakeholders

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The COVID-19 pandemic and ecological crisis are paving the way for new consumption models based on customers’ conscious choices and the subsequent integration of sustainable policies into retailers’ business strategies. As a consequence, the current consumer trends suggest that more people are becoming aware of their consumption standards and their repercussion on the environment and society. Statistics demonstrate that, in their purchasing processes, these “mindful customers” now search for a sustainable, self-sufficient way of living in harmony with nature. This paper argues that artificial intelligence (AI) is able to facilitate this process in the marketplace. More specifically, mindfulness with the support of AI technologies could be a plausible way to activate sustainable consumption patterns for avoiding overconsumption. The life-changing ability of mindful consumption is reviewed in this paper across domains of sustainability. Using a comprehensive literature review, the paper first outlines the theoretical and conceptual foundations of the mindful sustainable consumption (MSC) approach that fills the literature gap that almost always separates mindful consumption from sustainability. Second, the new conceptual approach is applied through a strategic framework in the field of fast fashion retailing through the use of AI-powered chatbots. In particular, the study defines a new category of chatbots, named sustainability chatbots (SC), which could convey mindful and sustainable consumption choices. The paper highlights that the MSC approach combined with the support of SC could enable marketing managers to create the appropriate context for embedding sustainability into consumer behaviour and fast fashion retailers’ strategies from a value co-creation perspective.