Description
Robots as co-workers and employees in the hotel industry:
insights from fellow employees and managers**
Cho Tin Tun Kirkpatrick, Ph.D., Adjunct Faculty, Colorado Mountain College & Nova Southeastern University
Craig Webster, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Ball State University
Lea Diedicke, Graduate Student, Ball State University
Abstract
There has been a massive expansion of research in topics related to the automation of technologies in the hospitality and tourism industries and there are even noteworthy articles that chart the massive expansion of the bibliography on this topic (see, for example, Ivanov, Gretzel, Berezina, Sigala & Webster, 2019; Ye, Chena, Law, & Fong, L. H. N., 2022; Zhonga, Zhua, Sun, & Law, 2021). A great deal of the literature in recent years has explored the perceptions of service robots in the industry from the perspective of the consumer and using surveys and quantitative methods to learn about how consumers feel about experiences with service robots. However, there has been less attention in the literature to the perceptions that employees and managers have on the use of robots in hospitality operations, although there is a growing literature in the field, as some recent scholarship has shown (see, for example; Alzoubi & Zoubi, 2023; Ivanov, Seyitoğlu, & Markova, 2020; Tojib, et al., 2023; Vatan & Dogan, 2021). However, since most literature that explores the attitudes of managers and employees in hospitality companies is either theoretical in nature or quantitative, it is necessary to gain increased insight into the practical, emotional, and personal impressions that hospitality managers and co-workers experience when robots become more integrated into a hotel’s operations.
This research is part of a 360-degree approach project in order to gain insights from consumers, hotel managers, and robots’ coworkers to learn how the incorporation of robots into a hotels ecosystem disrupts operations and how managers and co-workers perceive the process. As a first leg of this research, there were face-to-face interviews of both managers and robot co-workers to learn how they both experience the integration of robots into their hotel operations. There were four interviews held in two different Chinese hotels. The interviews were held with a Chinese-speaking interviewer and resulted in four interviews, two of managers and two of co-workers.
The field interviews were designed taking interdependence theory and cobiotics approached into account. Interdependence theory (Thibaut & Kelley, 1957) noted that an individual’s result is beyond that individual’s action but rather is dependent upon their partner’s action and the reverse. Letheren et al. (2022) shared the hypothesis of interdependence theory as interdependent relationship when collaboration from both partners or members is necessary for success. This study will further explore human-robot relationship, cobotics, and human-robot interactions from the perceptions of those who are experiencing this most elaborated and fast-paced technology, as mentioned by others (see, for example; Khoa et al.,2022).
The fieldwork has been completed and the interviews have been translated into English for interpretation. The preliminary findings of the research illustrate a generally positive attitude towards the incorporation of robots into operations by both management and employees. There is very little indication that employees fear being replaced, from these initial interviews and there is a general indication that there is a concern with training and technical aspects of the incorporation of robots into operations. Also, there is indication from both employees and management that customers may have issues with regards to accepting robots as part of the service providers in hotel operations. The insights from these interviews will be used as a part of an effort develop more insightful large-scale online surveys to learn more about the acceptance of automation technologies from managers, employees, and customers in hospitality.
References
Alzoubi, S., & Zoubi, M. (2023). Exploring the relationship between robot employees' perceptions and robot-induced unemployment under COVID-19 in the Jordanian hospitality sector. International Journal of Data and Network Science, 7(4), 1563-1572.
Ivanov, S., Gretzel, U., Berezina, K., Sigala, M. & Webster, C. (2019), "Progress on robotics in hospitality and tourism: a review of the literature", Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, 10(4), 489-521. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTT-08-2018-0087
Ivanov, S., Seyitoğlu, F., & Markova, M. (2020). Hotel managers’ perceptions towards the use of robots: a mixed-methods approach. Information Technology & Tourism, 22, 505-535.
Khoa, D.T., Gip, H.Q., Guchait, P. & Wang, C.-Y. (2023), "Competition or collaboration for human–robot relationship: a critical reflection on future cobotics in hospitality", International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 35(6), 2202-2215. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-04-2022-0434
Le, K.B.Q., Sajtos, L. & Fernandez, K.V. (2023), "Employee-(ro)bot collaboration in service: an interdependence perspective", Journal of Service Management, 34(2), 176-207. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-06-2021-0232
Letheren, K., Russell-Bennett, R., Whittaker, L., Whyte, S. & Dulleck, U. (2020). The evolution is now: Service robots, behavioral bias and emotions. In Härtel, C.E.J., Zerbe, W.J., and Ashkanasy, N.M. (Eds.) Emotions and Service in the Digital Age (Research on Emotion in Organizations) (vol. 16, pp. 27- 48). Emerald Publishing Limited, Bingley. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1746-979120200000016005
Thibaut, J.W., and Kelley, H.H. (1957). The Social Psychology of Groups, Routledge, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315135007
Tojib, D., Sujan, R., Ma, J., & Tsarenko, Y. (2023). How does service robot anthropomorphism affect human co-workers?. Journal of Service Management. 34(4), 750-769. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-03-2022-0090
Vatan, A., & Dogan, S. (2021). What do hotel employees think about service robots? A qualitative study in Turkey. Tourism Management Perspectives, 37, 100775.
Ye, H., Chena, S., Law, R., & Fong, L. H. N. (2022) Knowledge Mapping of Robotic Applications in Tourism and Hospitality. Journal of Smart Tourism. 2(4), 11-23. https://doi.org/10.52255/smarttourism.2022.2.4.3
Zhonga,L., Zhua, M., Sun, S., & Law, R. (2021). Research Progress and Development of Technology in Tourism Research: A Bibliometric Analysis. Journal of Smart Tourism, 1(2), 3-12. DOI: https://doi.org/10.52255/smarttourism.2021.1.2.2
