Working with service robots in the dining room: Employees’ perspectives and realities

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate restaurant and foodservice workers’ perceptions of working with a service robot and the extent to which the workers’ well-being was impacted by a mandated service robot adoption.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used a qualitative methodology where 42 US restaurant and foodservice workers from two organizations were interviewed. The data analyzed generated 1,302 coded segments that clustered into six overarching themes.

Findings

The findings from this research revealed that restaurant and foodservice workers who regularly use service robots in the dining room experience a complex set of issues and challenges related to robot reliability, management training and support, leveraging the robot to entertain the customer, feelings of dread, anger and frustration, and indications of decreased physical exertion as a proxy for well-being.

Research limitations/implications

As an initial qualitative investigation, the results of this study can be used as a starting point for quantitative investigations, as well as informing restaurant and foodservice industry stakeholders as to the best practices for a comprehensive and successful service robot adoption and integration.

Originality/value

This research presents an intersection between service robot technology acceptance with worker well-being using a broad range of frameworks including National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s Future of Work, SERVQUAL and technology acceptance models to gain a deep and rich set of service worker perspectives.

研究目的

本研究旨在调查餐厅和餐饮服务工作人员对与服务机器人合作的感知, 以及服务机器人采用对工作人员福祉的影响程度。

研究方法

本研究采用定性方法, 对来自两家机构的42名美国餐厅和餐饮服务工作人员进行了访谈。分析的数据生成了1,302个编码段, 分为六个总体主题。

研究发现

本研究的发现显示, 餐厅和餐饮服务工作人员在餐厅使用服务机器人时经历了一系列与机器人可靠性、管理培训和支持、利用机器人娱乐顾客、恐惧、愤怒和挫折感、以及作为福祉代理的身体活动减少相关的复杂问题和挑战。

研究局限性/意义

作为初步的定性调查, 本研究的结果可作为定量调查的起点, 并向餐饮服务行业的利益相关者提供有关全面和成功采用和整合服务机器人的最佳实践。

研究创新

本研究将服务机器人技术接受与工作人员福祉相结合, 利用包括NIOSH的未来工作、SERVQUAL和技术接受模型在内的广泛框架, 获得了丰富多样的服务工作者观点。

Citation

Mejia, C., Crandell, H.A., Broker, E. and Shoss, M. (2024), "Working with service robots in the dining room: Employees’ perspectives and realities", Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTT-12-2023-0420