AVALIAÇÃO DE CHATBOTS COMO FERRAMENTA DE COMUNICAÇÃO ORGANIZACIONAL: Recomendações estratégicas para a mensuração de canais digitais

Abstract

The adoption of chatbots as communication and relationship channels has grown in recent years, driven by the digital transformation in organizations. However, this expansion has not been accompanied by effective and structured evaluation practices. The predominant focus is on basic operational metrics that reveal little about the user experience, symbolic impacts, and reputational value of chatbots as relationship channels. This gap justifies this research, which aimed to develop a set of strategic recommendations for evaluating conversational bots in an organizational context. This is an applied, exploratory, and qualitative study, developed based on the Design Science Research (DSR) methodology, in three stages: (i) a literature review, aimed at identifying theoretical gaps and mapping existing metrics for digital channels; (ii) empirical research, through a questionnaire administered to 13 communication professionals, in addition to a semi-structured interview; and (iii) the development of an artifact containing strategic recommendations, including the proposal of quantitative and qualitative metrics and a template for monitoring these channels. The study's results highlighted the fragmentation of evaluation practices and the lack of consolidated models, while also confirming the need to integrate operational and strategic indicators. It was observed that, although professionals recognize the centrality of chatbots in organizational routines, their measurement remains focused on elementary metrics, neglecting dimensions related to user experience, trust, and institutional reputation. Based on this work, we conclude that chatbot evaluation should be conceived as a strategic pillar of organizational communication, capable of transforming automated interactions into lasting relational and reputational value, based on an integrated approach that combines efficiency, operability, experience, and organizational impact.