EXAMINING THE INFLUENCE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE-ENABLED DIGITALISATION ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: EVIDENCE FROM THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS SECTOR IN ZAMBIA

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled digitalisation on customer satisfaction within the telecommunications sector in Kitwe, Zambia. Adopting a positivist paradigm with a cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from 401 respondents using a structured Likert-scale questionnaire. The study employed partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to test the hypothesised relationships. The measurement model demonstrated acceptable reliability and validity, while the structural model exhibited adequate explanatory and predictive power. The findings reveal that AI-enabled consumer experience and trust significantly and positively influence customer satisfaction, whereas service quality does not have a significant impact. Furthermore, customer satisfaction significantly influences behavioural intention.

The study demonstrates that customer satisfaction partially mediates the relationship between AI-enabled digitalisation factors and behavioural intention, highlighting its central role in shaping customer responses. From a practical perspective, telecommunications firms should prioritise enhancing AI-driven customer experience and trust-building mechanisms without neglecting service quality improvements. The contribution of this study lies in integrating AI-enabled digitalisation constructs within the telecommunications industry of a developing economy and empirically validating their effects on customer outcomes using PLS-SEM.