scholarly journals Users Versus Non-users: The Impact of Experience on Hotel Guests’ Attitudes Towards Service Robots in Hotels

Author(s):  
Patrycja Brylska ◽  
Cihan Cobanoglu ◽  
Seden Dogan

AbstractThe use of robotics and artificial intelligence have created a shift in the ways the service-based hospitality and tourism industry can fulfill the needs and wants of consumers that were earlier fulfilled only by humans. Robots have added the automation and self-service experience that play a vital role in the improvements of efficiency, speed, and the overall experience for the guests using technology. While there are many benefits of using robots in the industry, there are also risks associated with the excessive usage of robots on guest experience. As a result of the pros and cons on the topic, it is very important to gather data and analyze the results to further investigate and understand what the outcomes will be for the industry, its employees, and its customers. The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions of the use of robots in the hotels as perceived by hotel guests who used a service robot and who did not. A self-administered survey was developed, and 939 usable responses were collected from hotel guests. Factor analysis showed that five factors emerged in the study: Advantages, Attitudes, Disadvantages, Pandemic Related, and Fear. Guests recognize the opportunities that service robots are bringing to their experience while voicing their concerns and fears about the use of them. Findings also showed that there are significant differences between users and non-users.

2021 ◽  
pp. 109634802110115
Author(s):  
Yaou Hu ◽  
Hyounae (Kelly) Min ◽  
Na Su

This study examined the effects of service recovery entities (i.e., robot-generated text, robot-generated voice, and human service employee) on recovery satisfaction through the mediation of perceived sincerity. This study also tested the moderating role of the need for human interaction. The results of this study suggest that people perceive service recovery provided by a human to be more sincere than that provided by a service robot, thereby leading to higher levels of satisfaction. Moreover, this effect is stronger for those with a stronger need for human interaction. However, differences in perceived sincerity and recovery satisfaction were not identified between the use of service robots generating either text or a voice to express an apology. This study contributes to the theoretical discussion on ways to enhance customer experiences in robot service environments and provides insights that can guide service management in the hospitality and tourism industry.


2021 ◽  
Vol 35 (9) ◽  
pp. 15-27
Author(s):  
Magnus Söderlund

Purpose This study aims to examine humans’ reactions to service robots’ display of warmth in robot-to-robot interactions – a setting in which humans’ impressions of a service robot will not only be based on what this robot does in relation to humans, but also on what it does to other robots. Design/methodology/approach Service robot display of warmth was manipulated in an experimental setting in such a way that a service robot A expressed low versus high levels of warmth in relation to another service robot B. Findings The results indicate that a high level of warmth expressed by robot A vis-à-vis robot B boosted humans’ overall evaluations of A, and that this influence was mediated by the perceived humanness and the perceived happiness of A. Originality/value Numerous studies have examined humans’ reactions when they interact with a service robot or other synthetic agents that provide service. Future service encounters, however, will comprise also multi-robot systems, which means that there will be many opportunities for humans to be exposed to robot-to-robot interactions. Yet, this setting has hitherto rarely been examined in the service literature.


2020 ◽  
Vol 198 ◽  
pp. 04030
Author(s):  
Dai Yanyan ◽  
Chen Meng

With the development of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, and cloud computing, the “intelligent airport” is considered to be an effective means to solve or alleviate the current industry problems such as large-scale airport business, the large number of operating entities, and the complicated operation conditions. This paper is about the collaboration between universities and enterprises based on the concept of service design. Relying on big data and cloud computing technology, this paper addresses the problems of airport service robots in inquiries, blind spots of security inspection, and full monomer smart navigation diffluence, combined with the basic technology of service robot artificial intelligence and the third-party interface to design solutions to effectively solve the problems of process.


Author(s):  
Arnaldo Borges Pinheiro ◽  
Agostinho Sousa Pinto ◽  
António Abreu ◽  
Eusébio Costa ◽  
Isabel Borges

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 313-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen W. Litvin ◽  
Ronald E. Goldsmith ◽  
Bing Pan

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review the impact electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) has had on the hospitality and tourism industry and discuss the changes that will affect its future. The paper’s touchpoint is the authors’ earlier paper (Litvin et al., 2008), which proposed that eWOM was to become a major influence as a conduit of travelers’ views and opinions. Design/methodology/approach The paper summarizes the arguments of the authors’ earlier paper, describing ways in which eWOM has evolved into the influential system it has become, with special emphasis on the growth of mobile media as a platform for eWOM dissemination. Findings The authors conclude that eWOM has fulfilled its promise to become a major influence on the hospitality and tourism industry and will continue to play an essential role in hospitality marketing for the foreseeable future. Practical implications The authors provide examples of successful media campaigns and propose strategies for hospitality and tourism businesses. Originality/value eWOM has emerged to become a highly influential element of modern marketing strategy. This look back at an early eWOM paper, with reflection on changes that have occurred and a view to the future, is of value as validation of an often cited article that set the stage for much subsequent hospitality research.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 3835-3851
Author(s):  
Glenn McCartney ◽  
Andrew McCartney

Purpose This study aims to introduce a conceptual framework for service robot (SR) acceptance by customers, employees and policymakers – a framework to help determine corporate decision-making on SR workplace integration. Design/methodology/approach This study reviews SR adoption literature within the tourism and hospitality industry. These SRs may have some level of artificial intelligence capability and possibly anthropomorphic (e.g. humanoid) or zoomorphic (e.g. animal-like) features, contingent on task and design choices. The study then identifies factors that potentially influence employee and consumer acceptance and experiences of SR, as well as policy and compliance factors and all elements of the corporate decision-making process concerning SR adoption in the hospitality setting. Findings This paper reviews the obstacles and benefits of SR adoption in the hospitality industry based on employee, consumer and public policy considerations. Research limitations/implications SRs are increasingly deployed within hospitality and tourism settings. Future studies should further explore the value-adding functions of SRs implemented in existing hospitality operations. Practical implications Hospitality and tourism industry practitioners should integrate the dimensions in the conceptual framework to make fully informed decisions on SR adoption. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first studies to provide a holistic SR adoption framework offering theoretical and practical implications for ongoing SR research and implementation.


REGIONOLOGY ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 438-459 ◽  
Author(s):  
Svetlana E. Maykova ◽  
Denis V. Okunev

Introduction. The article is of relevance due to the need to develop the tourism industry as one of the most attractive investment components of regional develop- ment from a strategic perspective. The purpose of the article is to substantiate the prospects for development of the Finno-Ugric tourist cluster in the territory of the Republic of Mordovia it being an integrating element of the comprehensive use of available resources involved in the process of providing tourist and recreational services and contributing to the competitiveness of the region. Materials and Methods. The study employed the factor analysis as well as the methods of SNW analysis and integral assessment of the degree of influence of the factors on the tourism industry. Using the methods of mapping, a map of the long- term development of tourist clusters of the Republic of Mordovia was constructed. Results. The influence of external and internal factors in the development of the tourism industry in the region was assessed on the basis of the analysis of the trends and dynamics of the development of the tourist services market in the Republic of Mordovia as well as of the degree and nature of the impact of external and internal factors on the formation of the tourism industry. The investment risk and potential of the tourism industry were ranked and a map of the long-term development of tourist clusters of the region was drawn conditioned by available natural resources, geographical location, cultural potential and traditions of the local population. It was proved that the ethno-cultural component was the key element of development of the tourism industry in the region. Discussion and Conclusions. The cluster approach in the development of the tour- ism industry is the most promising one as it promotes the effective integration of all elements of the tourist services sector as well as the functioning of the tourist infrastructure, the growth of the investment attractiveness of this area of activity and the competitiveness of the region as a whole. The article is intended for managers and specialists of organizations and enterprises of the hospitality and tourism industry.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 13
Author(s):  
Ayse Begum Ersoy ◽  
Ziqi Cui

Since the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) has had brought severe impact on all aspects of the world. A series of interpersonal distancing methods such as ensuring effective and safe social distancing among people, wearing masks, and traffic lockdown measures are also continuing to take effect to curb the continuing outbreak of the COVID-19 (“Advice for the public on COVID-19”, 2020). In response to the globally spread of COVID-19, many advanced technologies in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) were applied rapidly and played an essential role in the operation for several months. There are many different leading technology categories in the field of artificial intelligence and many different sub-categories within each main technology categories. Moreover, since the AGI technology does not yet reach the basic human intelligence level, this study will focus on the impact of service robots, which are already widely used in the NAI application category, on hospitality marketing in the current situation in China. In this paper the aim is to assess the effectiveness of use of service robots in Marketing Hospitality Industry during the pandemic through a quantitative study.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (17) ◽  
pp. 9655
Author(s):  
Ieva Meidute-Kavaliauskiene ◽  
Şemsettin Çiğdem ◽  
Bülent Yıldız ◽  
Sigitas Davidavicius

The current age of artificial intelligence, along with the advent of robots, portends increased use of innovative technologies in the tourism industry, with higher levels of service innovation than in many other industries. In addition, factors such as an approaching worldwide pandemic have limited the amount of physical contact that people can have. So as a result, the use of service robots in service areas, such as tourism, has recently become controversial. In this study, accommodation customers’ perceptions of advantages and disadvantages about robots and the effect of the perceived value of their intention to use them were investigated. Within the scope of the research, data were collected from 1408 people living in various cities in Turkey through an online survey. The data were analyzed by structural equation modeling. As a result of the analyses, it was found that the perception of advantage and the perceived value affect the intention to use service robots positively and significantly. It has been determined that the perception of disadvantage affects the intention to use service robots negatively and significantly. The research results show that the accommodation companies should be innovative and rapidly transition to robotization, as in the manufacturing industry. Advanced technological innovation applications, such as service robots, will play an essential role in the revival of the tourism industry, especially during the global epidemic.


2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 2155-2173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen Chang ◽  
Anyu Liu ◽  
Xuhui Wang ◽  
Bowen Yi

Purpose Leader–member exchange (LMX) theory is particularly relevant to the hospitality and tourism industry due to its labor-intensive and service-focused nature. However, the hospitality literature regarding the impact of LMX on its various outcomes have inconsistent results. A holistic review of LMX studies is nonexistent in the current literature. Thus, the purpose of this study is to use a meta approach to quantitatively summarize and examine the relationship between LMX and its outcomes in the hospitality and tourism literature. Design/methodology/approach A total of 89 individual observations from 36 studies conducted between 1997 and 2018 were identified. A Bayesian random effect model was introduced into the hospitality and tourism literature for the first time to implement the meta-analysis. Findings The results suggest significant differences in the impact of LMX on various groups of outcomes. LMX has the strongest impact on firms’ practice-related outcomes, such as organizational justice and employee empowerment. Few moderators are identified on the impact of LMX, such as LMX measure, culture, industry sector and statistical method. Practical implications Findings yielded several recommendations for both hospitality researchers and organizations in developing LMX related studies, as well as managing employees. Originality/value This study is the first Bayesian meta-analysis in the hospitality and tourism literature; it complements LMX theory by linking it to cognitive appraisal theory. Specific characteristics of LMX in the hospitality and tourism industry, such as the measurement of LMX and the effect of industry sector, are also identified.


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