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Research

• <br><br><b>Procedural and Distributive Unfairness in AI Interactions: Are Consumers More</b><br><b>Critical of Interactions with AI Compared to Humans</b><br>(Changes being made for submission to Journal of Computers in Human Behavior)<i> </i><br><br>This study examines consumer perceived differences in procedural fairness and distributive fairness between AI and human service delivery. It examines how the effects of perceived differenced may be influenced by technology discomfort and corporate responsibility for the customer experience.<br><br><i>Design</i><br>Two online scenario experiments were conducted using subjects recruited on the Prolific Platform. Subjects were asked to advise on the application for a small business loan at a fictional digital bank to be processed by either an AI algorithm or a human.<br><br><i>Findings</i><br>When subjects were told that their transactions were being processed by either an AI algorithm or a person (nondisclosure), subjects experienced no difference in their level of procedural fairness/unfairness and distributive fairness/unfairness. However, when subjects were told the processor of their transactions (disclosure), subjects reported differences in procedural unfairness but not distributive unfairness levels. Specifically, subjects who were exposed to procedural unfairness were less satisfied with the AI than with humans. It was also found that the effect of procedural unfairness on customer satisfaction was moderated by algorithm discomfort and perceived company responsibility for AI actions.<br><br><i>Originality </i><br>Prior studies of AI have examined overall fairness, failing to recognize that consumers may perceive differences in AI versus human delivered service procedures. The present study focuses specifically on the role procedural fairness and improves our understanding of fairness in consumer attitudes to AI.<br><br><i>Practical Implications</i><br>These findings suggest that as AI becomes more competent in delivering services to consumers, managers need to become more strategic about how AI is branded and how service failures are managed.<br><br>Key terms: AI, satisfaction, procedural fairness, unfairness, algorithm discomfort
• <b>Rejected by Fintech Algorithms: When AI Rejects Customers</b><br><b>for ESG Reasons</b><br><br>(Changes being made for resubmission to the European Journal of Marketing)<br> <br>This study examines the role of consumer discomfort with decisions made by artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms within the fintech sector. The study proposes that experiencing algorithm discomfort while using service technology will increase consumer skepticism toward the fintech sector and reduce their willingness to collaborate with the service firm on voluntary community initiatives. The role of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors are examined as moderators of the effects of algorithm discomfort. Hypotheses are tested using a scenario in which consumer loan applications were rejected for failure to meet environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance thresholds compared to a base condition of rejection purely on failure to meet a financial performance threshold. Using experimental data from 158 respondents, this study found that algorithm discomfort significantly increases skepticism towards fintech firms and subsequently reduced consumer willingness to collaborate with such firms. The results found evidence of mediated moderation in that the effect of the interaction between algorithm discomfort and ESG rejection reasons on willingness to collaborate is mediated by fintech skepticism. This study contributes to theory and practice by demonstrating the potential of ESG initiative to counter the adverse effects of algorithmic discomfort by humanizing the consumer experience.

Honors & Awards

• Digital Marketing Research Fellow, British Telecom Laboratories, Suffolk, (UK) 1998 , British Telecom Laboratories (October 1998)
• Montclair State University Separately Budgeted Research Grant , Montclair State University ( 2015)
• UCD Michael Smurfit Business School, Dublin Ireland, May to August 2015 , UCD Michael Smurfit Business School, Dublin Ireland (May 2015)
• Best Overall Conference Paper, American Marketing Association Summer Conference (August 2011)
• Kent Business School, University of Kent, UK July to Aug 2010 , Kent Business School, University of Ken (July 2010)
• Best Paper Award - Sales Management Track, 2004 American Marketing Association Summer Educators Conference (August 2004)
• Journal of Interactive Marketing - Outstanding Contribution in Reviewing Award 2017 , Marketing EDGE (April 2017)

Refereed Published Articles

• G. Moran , L. Muzellec, D. Johnson (2019). Analysis of Message Content Features and their Impact on Social Media Engagement Status . Journal of Product and Brand Management
• D. Johnson, L. Muzellec, D. Sihi, D. Zahay-Blatz (2019). The Market Organization's Journey to become Data-driven . Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing /Emerald
• G. Ahmed, C. Amponsah, D. Johnson (2019). Gender Differences in Entrepreneurial Attitudes and Intentions: The Case of Brand Dubai. International Journal of Business and Emerging Markets /Inderscience Publishers
• D. Johnson, G. Moran (2018). The Role of Procedural and Distributive Fairness in R&D Collaborations. International Journal of Business & Applied Sciences/ Business and Applied Sciences Academy of North America
• B. Lowe, D. Johnson (2017). Diagnostic and Prescriptive Benefits of Consumer Participation in Virtual Communities of Personal Challenge. European Journal of Marketing/Emerald
• D. Johnson, B. Riley, S. Sato (2017). The adverse effect of doctors’ skepticism toward prescription drugs. International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing/ Emerald
• D. Johnson, B. Lowe (2015). Emotional Support, Perceived Corporate Ownership and Skepticism toward Out-Groups in Virtual Communities . Journal of Interactive Marketing
• D. Johnson, M. Peterson (2014). Consumer Financial Anxiety: US Regional Financial Service Firms’ Trust Building Response to the Financial Crisis. International Journal of Bank Marketing
• D. Johnson (2014). Opting Out: The Effects of Consumer Information Sharing Concerns on Perceived Value in E-Banking Relationships. International Journal of Marketing Studies
• D. Johnson, B. Clark, G. Barczak (2012). Customer relationship management processes: How faithful are business-to-business. Industrial Marketing Management
• D. Johnson (2008). Beyond Trial: Consumer Assimilation of Electronic Channels. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing /Emerald
• K. Grayson , Johnson, D. Chen (2008). Is Firm Trust Essential in a Trusted Environment? How Trust in the Business Context Influences Customers. Journal of Marketing Research
• D. Johnson, F. Bardhi, D. Dunn (2008). Understanding How Technology Paradoxes Affect Customer Satisfaction with Self-Service Technology: The Role of Performance Ambiguity and Trust in Technology. Psychology & Marketing
• D. Johnson (2007). Achieving Customer Value from Electronic Channels through Identify Commitment, Calculative Commitment, and Trust in Technology. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing /Emerald
• K. Grayson, (2005). Cognitive and Affective Trust in Service Relationships. Journal of Business Research/ Elsevier
• D. Johnson, S. Bhara (2005). Digitization of Selling Activity and Sales Force Performance: Theory and Evidence. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science
• D. Johnson, D. Sihi, L. Muzellec (2021). Implementing Big Data Analytics in Marketing Departments: Mixing Organic and Administered Approaches to Increase Data-Driven Decision Making. Informatics /MDPI
• S. Chun, D. Johnson (2021). The Effects of Mental Budgeting and Pain of Payment on the Financial Decision Making of Socially Excluded People. International Journal of Bank Marketing/ Emerald Group Publishing Ltd.
• D. Johnson, Y. Limbu, C. Jayachandran, R. Reddy (2019). Climbing the Down Escalator: When Customer-to-Customer Interactions are Harmful to Service Firms. European Journal of Marketing
• H. Naim, T. Aziz, D. Johnson, A. Rafiuddin (2023). An Examination of the Influence of Related Party Transactions on Corporate Performance: Empirical Findings from the NSE 500 Index (2012-2020). Skyline University www.skylineuniversity/Journal

Published Proceedings

• D. Johnson, Y. Limbu, C. Jayachandran, R. Reddy (5s). 2017. The Moderating Role of Service Category Perception in Service Co-Creation Summer American Marketing Association Conference Proceedings
• D. Johnson (5s). 2015. Competitive Selling: Unintended Effects of Salesperson Skepticism Toward a More Credible Competing Product American Marketing Association

Books & Chapters

• K. Grayson, D. Johnson (2015). Marketplace Trust . Wiley-Blackwell
• D. Johnson, K. Grayson (2000). Sources and Dimensions of Trust in Service Relationships.