Service Robots in the Hospitality Industry: An Exploratory Literature Review

The service sector is changing drastically due the use of robotics and other technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of things (IoT), Big Data and Biometrics. Consequently, further research opportunities in the service industry domain are also expected. In light of the above, the purpose of this paper is to explore the potentialities and limitations of service robots in the hospitality industry. To this end, this paper uses a conceptual approach based on a literature review. As a result, we found that in contexts of high customer contact, service robots should be considered to perform standardized tasks due to social/emotional and cognitive/analytical complexity. The hospitality industry is therefore considered closely related to empathic intelligence, as the integration of service robots has not yet reached the desired stage of service delivery. In a seemingly far-fetched context of our reality, organizations will have to decide whether the AI will allow the complete replacement of humans with robots capable of performing the necessary cognitive and emotional tasks. Or investing in balanced capacities by integrating robot-human systems that seems a reasonable option these days.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Systems of collaboration: challenges and solutions for interdisciplinary research in AI and social robotics

This article examines the challenges and opportunities that arise when engaging with research across disciplines, contributing to the growth of social robotics and artificially intelligent systems. Artificial intelligence has a significant role to play in human–machine communication; however, there are barriers to its adoption and considerations towards systematic implementation for the good of people and societies. This perspective piece considers the position of artificial intelligence in systems of human–machine communication. The study of artificial intelligent systems is one of discovery, trial, and error through a melting pot of methodologies, and this interdisciplinary nature is explored through the perspective of researchers at the centre of collaboration coming from artificial intelligence, robotics, and communication

Brave new world: service robots in the frontline

Purpose – The service sector is at an inflection point with regard to productivity gains and service industrialization similar to the industrial revolution in manufacturing that started in the eighteenth century. Robotics in combination with rapidly improving technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), mobile, cloud, big data and biometrics will bring opportunities for a wide range of innovations that have the potential to dramatically change service industries. The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential role service robots will play in the future and to advance a research agenda for service researchers. Design/methodology/approach – This paper uses a conceptual approach that is rooted in the service, robotics and AI literature. Findings – The contribution of this paper is threefold. First, it provides a definition of service robots, describes their key attributes, contrasts their features and capabilities with those of frontline employees, and provides an understanding for which types of service tasks robots will dominate and where humans will dominate. Second, this paper examines consumer perceptions, beliefs and behaviors as related to service robots, and advances the service robot acceptance model. Third, it provides an overview of the ethical questions surrounding robot-delivered services at the individual, market and societal level. Practical implications – This paper helps service organizations and their management, service robot innovators, programmers and developers, and policymakers better understand the implications of a ubiquitous deployment of service robots. Originality/value – This is the first conceptual paper that systematically examines key dimensions of robot-delivered frontline service and explores how these will differ in the future

Brave new world: service robots in the frontline

Purpose: The service sector is at an inflection point with regard to productivity gains and service industrialization similar to the industrial revolution in manufacturing that started in the eighteenth century. Robotics in combination with rapidly improving technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), mobile, cloud, big data and biometrics will bring opportunities for a wide range of innovations that have the potential to dramatically change service industries. The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential role service robots will play in the future and to advance a research agenda for service researchers. Design/methodology/approach: This paper uses a conceptual approach that is rooted in the service, robotics and AI literature. Findings: The contribution of this paper is threefold. First, it provides a definition of service robots, describes their key attributes, contrasts their features and capabilities with those of frontline employees, and provides an understanding for which types of service tasks robots will dominate and where humans will dominate. Second, this paper examines consumer perceptions, beliefs and behaviors as related to service robots, and advances the service robot acceptance model. Third, it provides an overview of the ethical questions surrounding robot-delivered services at the individual, market and societal level. Practical implications: This paper helps service organizations and their management, service robot innovators, programmers and developers, and policymakers better understand the implications of a ubiquitous deployment of service robots. Originality/value: This is the first conceptual paper that systematically examines key dimensions of robot-delivered frontline service and explores how these will differ in the future

Investigating the acceptance intentions of online shopping assistants in E-commerce interactions: mediating role of trust and effects of consumer demographics

Online shopping has various advantages, such as convenience, easy access to information, a greater variety of products or services, discounts, and lower prices. However, the absence of salespeople's personalized assistance decreases the online customer experience. Business-to-consumer e-commerce companies are increasingly implementing online shopping assistants (OSAs), interactive and automated tools used to assist customers without salespeople's assistance. However, no comprehensive model of OSA acceptance in e-commerce exists, including constructs from multiple information system disciplines, sociopsychology, and information security. This study aims to fill these gaps by empirically investigating consumers' intention to accept OSAs from a functional, social, relational, and security perspective. It identifies OSA acceptance factors in e-commerce through an extensive literature review and expert opinion. A research model is proposed after identifying structural relationships among the study's variables from the literature. The study employs partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to validate the proposed model empirically. The results indicate that anthropomorphism, attitude, ease of use, enjoyment, privacy, trust, and usefulness are crucial determinants of acceptance variables. There are significant moderating effects of respondents' gender and education on OSA acceptance. The study's results have substantial implications for academia, extending and validating the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) for OSA acceptance in e-commerce. The study will help e-commerce marketers develop optimal adoption strategies when implementing OSAs on social media platforms