From handshakes to hashtags: Fostering digital human touch in business interactions

In the contemporary business landscape, where business interactions are progressively migrating to virtual environments, the ability to convey human touch without physical proximity has emerged as a critical yet under-explored phenomenon. This study conceptualizes Digital Human Touch as a relational...

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محفوظ في:
التفاصيل البيبلوغرافية
المؤلف الرئيسي: Tóth, Zsófia (author)
مؤلفون آخرون: Luo, Jun (author), Liu, Martin J. (author), Yuan, Ruizhi (author), Itani, Omar S. (author), Mrad, Mona (author)
التنسيق: article
منشور في: 2026
الوصول للمادة أونلاين:http://hdl.handle.net/10725/17681
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.116007
http://libraries.lau.edu.lb/research/laur/terms-of-use/articles.php
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014829632600041X
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author Tóth, Zsófia
author2 Luo, Jun
Liu, Martin J.
Yuan, Ruizhi
Itani, Omar S.
Mrad, Mona
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
author_facet Tóth, Zsófia
Luo, Jun
Liu, Martin J.
Yuan, Ruizhi
Itani, Omar S.
Mrad, Mona
author_role author
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Tóth, Zsófia
Luo, Jun
Liu, Martin J.
Yuan, Ruizhi
Itani, Omar S.
Mrad, Mona
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2026-02-17T08:07:37Z
2026-02-17T08:07:37Z
2026
2026-04
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv 0148-2963
http://hdl.handle.net/10725/17681
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.116007
Tóth, Z., Luo, J., Liu, M. J., Yuan, R., Itani, O. S., & Mrad, M. (2026). From handshakes to hashtags: Fostering digital human touch in business interactions. Journal of Business Research, 207, 116007.
http://libraries.lau.edu.lb/research/laur/terms-of-use/articles.php
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014829632600041X
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv en
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv Journal of Business Research
dc.rights.*.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv From handshakes to hashtags: Fostering digital human touch in business interactions
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv Article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
info:eu-repo/semantics/article
description In the contemporary business landscape, where business interactions are progressively migrating to virtual environments, the ability to convey human touch without physical proximity has emerged as a critical yet under-explored phenomenon. This study conceptualizes Digital Human Touch as a relational construct, exploring how empathy, authenticity, warmth, and care are enacted through digital channels. The study’s research design encompasses dyadic buyer–supplier interviews conducted prior to, during, and following the onset of the pandemic with a large-scale analysis of customer reviews. The findings identify core dimensions of Digital Human Touch: digital authenticity, warmth and care, and openness in communication; during the pandemic also: forgiveness and tolerance, and reconciliation. The post-Covid-19 emergence of real-time connectedness was also identified. The findings indicate that Digital Human Touch fosters relational continuity and value co-creation. By challenging the assumption that human touch always requires physical interaction, this study contributes to the advancement of theory on relationship management.
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
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id LAURepo_ee6f400413682fbe59cd96499f6a2f4a
identifier_str_mv 0148-2963
Tóth, Z., Luo, J., Liu, M. J., Yuan, R., Itani, O. S., & Mrad, M. (2026). From handshakes to hashtags: Fostering digital human touch in business interactions. Journal of Business Research, 207, 116007.
language_invalid_str_mv en
network_acronym_str LAURepo
network_name_str Lebanese American University repository
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publishDate 2026
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spelling From handshakes to hashtags: Fostering digital human touch in business interactionsTóth, ZsófiaLuo, JunLiu, Martin J.Yuan, RuizhiItani, Omar S.Mrad, MonaIn the contemporary business landscape, where business interactions are progressively migrating to virtual environments, the ability to convey human touch without physical proximity has emerged as a critical yet under-explored phenomenon. This study conceptualizes Digital Human Touch as a relational construct, exploring how empathy, authenticity, warmth, and care are enacted through digital channels. The study’s research design encompasses dyadic buyer–supplier interviews conducted prior to, during, and following the onset of the pandemic with a large-scale analysis of customer reviews. The findings identify core dimensions of Digital Human Touch: digital authenticity, warmth and care, and openness in communication; during the pandemic also: forgiveness and tolerance, and reconciliation. The post-Covid-19 emergence of real-time connectedness was also identified. The findings indicate that Digital Human Touch fosters relational continuity and value co-creation. By challenging the assumption that human touch always requires physical interaction, this study contributes to the advancement of theory on relationship management.Published2026-02-17T08:07:37Z2026-02-17T08:07:37Z20262026-04Articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/article0148-2963http://hdl.handle.net/10725/17681https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.116007Tóth, Z., Luo, J., Liu, M. J., Yuan, R., Itani, O. S., & Mrad, M. (2026). From handshakes to hashtags: Fostering digital human touch in business interactions. Journal of Business Research, 207, 116007.http://libraries.lau.edu.lb/research/laur/terms-of-use/articles.phphttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014829632600041XenJournal of Business Researchinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:laur.lau.edu.lb:10725/176812026-02-17T08:07:37Z
spellingShingle From handshakes to hashtags: Fostering digital human touch in business interactions
Tóth, Zsófia
status_str publishedVersion
title From handshakes to hashtags: Fostering digital human touch in business interactions
title_full From handshakes to hashtags: Fostering digital human touch in business interactions
title_fullStr From handshakes to hashtags: Fostering digital human touch in business interactions
title_full_unstemmed From handshakes to hashtags: Fostering digital human touch in business interactions
title_short From handshakes to hashtags: Fostering digital human touch in business interactions
title_sort From handshakes to hashtags: Fostering digital human touch in business interactions
url http://hdl.handle.net/10725/17681
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.116007
http://libraries.lau.edu.lb/research/laur/terms-of-use/articles.php
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014829632600041X