Humanization of e-services: Human interaction metaphor in design of e-services

Abstract

A possible way of introducing better e-services is to regard an e-service not as a package of functions but as a person or people offering the service. It finally means emulation of a particular structure of human functioning, human interaction and communication by an instrument such as a computer or a mobile phone etc in the most human-like way possible. It means using human schematas and scripts in programming where the e-service provider is a "personality" who has "his" social role in humancomputer interaction. That requires the use of psychological principles that are common in human goalorientated behaviour, human-human interaction and natural intercourse between people. There is a need for research on human-human interaction in service and/or other situations, and introduction of the findings in the technical solutions of e-services. © 2007 Springer.