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SSRN Id4367010
SSRN Id4367010
2. RESEACH QUESTIONS:
a. When engaging with anthropomorphic service robots in the hotel sector, what are the
main aspects that affect customer happiness and company growth?
b. How does the anthropomorphism of service robots in hotels impact patron pleasure
and company expansion?
c. How does the usage of anthropomorphic service robots affect how the hotel industry's
connection between client happiness and company expansion?
d. In the hotel sector, what degree of anthropomorphism promotes client pleasure and
revenue growth?
e. How are customer happiness and company success in the hotel sector are impacted by
consumers' feelings and attitudes toward service robots with various degrees of
anthropomorphism?
f. How do the features and functioning of anthropomorphic service robots affect hotel
sector development and client satisfaction?
The conceptual model has been presented in Figure 1 and name of various theories used to
develop hypothesis have been shown in Table 1.
3.1 Types of technology amenities
By implementing cutting-edge features, services, and facilities, intelligent hotels can adjust to
the always changing demands of its patrons. Anything over and above what is typically
provided to guests in their rooms and common spaces is considered a hotel's TA. Smart hotels
utilise a wide variety of TA, and their availability is expanding and changing quickly (Bilgihan
et al., 2016). Free Wi-Fi, voice or facial recognition, service robots, and smart TV are a few of
them. From touch-screen panels, hotel guests may control the lighting, temperature, music, and
draperies (Lai and Hung, 2018). Mobile devices may assist enhance customer service during a
hotel stay (Leung, 2019). Particularly with regards to check-in and check-out processes, this is
accurate. A more personalised stay may be offered to customers at hotels that have smart
technology, such as a smart mirror, rollable TV, or smart glass in the shower. 2019 (EHL
Insights); 2019 (Prabhu). Hotels' energy usage may be considerably decreased by using
occupancy sensors, infrared sensors, and motion sensors (DePinto, 2017).
TAM, which was first introduced by Davis (1989), examines two characteristics of a
technology: how user-friendly it is and how useful it is (PU). While the second model addressed
the PU construct's determinants, such as subjective norm and output quality, the third model
offered the control variable, most notably self-efficacy.
H1. Types of technology amenities adopted in hotels have significant impact on perceived ease
of use
H2. Types of technology amenities adopted in hotels have significant impact on perceived
usefulness
3.2 Anthropomorphism
Researchers in the field of human-computer interaction (HRI) have thoroughly examined the
relationship between anthropomorphism and user approval (Duffy, 2003). It's known as
"anthropomorphism" when humans prefer to give inanimate things human characteristics
(Fink, 2012). It has been shown that human reactions to humanoid robots make them more
likeable. According to Epley (2007), familiarity is the key to understanding anthropomorphism
because humans have a tendency to give non-human artefacts familiar characteristics in order
to gain insight into them, understand them better, and make them more predictable. Similar to
this is the claim that individuals automatically use preconceptions and heuristics in response to
an object's humanlike design signals.
Anthropomorphism and user assessment and adoption intention have been shown to be
positively correlated in studies on human-computer interface (HRI), service automation, and
hospitality and tourism. However, there are counterexamples that demonstrate negative
reactions do arise in certain circumstances for various reasons. The "uncanny valley idea" is
what causes most individuals to respond adversely (Mori, 1970). According to the hypothesis,
as anthropomorphic robots become more similar to humans, attitudes toward them would shift
from acceptance to rejection (Mori, 1970). Ferrari et al. (2016) showed that if robots resemble
humans too closely, it might raise worries about damage to people and their identities by
obfuscating identification boundaries and lessening human capacity to stand out. This finding
is based on research of intergroup uniqueness in social psychology.
The appraisal hypothesis states that while evaluating an experience, one's ideas and feelings
are both triggered (Lazarus, 1991). For instance, if a client's server lacks professionalism, that
client can feel unsatisfied since they might think the service was not worthwhile of their time
H3A & H10A & H13A. The effect of humanlike language of service encounter evaluation is
mediated by a) perceived credibility generated by anthropomorphism b) positive emotion.
H3B & H10B & H13B. The effect of humanlike voice of service encounter evaluation is
mediated by a) perceived credibility generated by anthropomorphism b) positive emotion.
H3C & H10C & H13C. The effect of humanlike physical appearance on service encounter
evaluation is mediated by a) perceived credibility generated by anthropomorphism b) positive
emotion.
Traditionally, men and women are expected to fill "service-oriented" positions. Studies on
gender inequality show that women mostly work in the service industry (Kerfoot, 2005). Even
though they represent a small portion of a greater societal issue of discrimination and
stereotyping, gender stereotypes continue to be a potent predictor of behaviour. According to
decades of social psychology study, consumers often categorise people (such as whether they
belong to a certain social group) and interpret information in light of their existing knowledge
and experiences (Dovidio and Gaertner, 1993). Stereotypical reactions are often triggered
spontaneously when the following information is processed (depending on variables like
gender and sexual orientation) (Macrae and Martin, 2007). It is challenging to maintain self -
control and prevent from behaving stereotypically when stereotype-related stimuli are offered
without a strong motive to avoid discriminating thinking. Bargh (1999) emphasises the strength
of stereotype activation and contends that once a stereotype is activated, there is simply no way
to restrict its impact.
Due to stereotypes of anticipated behaviour, there are many biases between the sexes. There is
a widespread belief that males make competent and task-oriented leaders and that women make
expressive and emotionally accessible communicators (Deaux, 1984). More than only an
employee's gender has an impact on a customer's pleasure. When service providers are
engaging in gender-congruent behaviours, customers are more likely to be happy with them
than they are when those service providers are male. Nevertheless, a majority of positions that
directly involve interacting with the public are held by women, including nursing, sales,
customer service, and hospitality (Hochschild, 1983). Numerous instances from the business
demonstrate that that masculine inclination is typical even among virtual assistants. Many
smart home appliances, such as Alexa and Google Home, assume a feminine persona in their
nomenclature or voice due to security and psychological concerns. Customers see female
service personnel in the service business more favourably than male ones, according to prior
studies (Fischer et al., 1997).
H3D & H10D & H13D. The effect of feminine aspect of anthropomorphism on service
encounter evaluation is mediated by a) perceived credibility generated by anthropomorphism
b) positive emotion.
H8A. Consumers of higher self-efficacy shows no difference in perceived control with respect
to various types of technology amenities mediated by perceived ease of use and perceived
usefulness
H8B. Consumers of lower self-efficacy shows lower-level (vs high level) perceived control
with respect to highly automated technology (vs. lesser automated technology) amenities
mediated by perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness
3.12 Self-construal
Self-construal inclinations have a significant impact on how people see others and how they
respond to them in social circumstances. Given that humans are hardwired to interact with one
another, it stands to reason that they would assign certain social roles to the technologies they
create (Moon, 2000). ASP further stimulates users' social views of technology that attempts to
simulate the human experience (Van Doorn et al., 2017). We relate our research to the notion
of self-construal and argue that consumers' self-perceptions might affect their reactions to ASP
technology. The authors argue that consumers' tendency toward self-construal might serve as
a moderating influence.
H9A. Dependent consumers show no difference in their perceived control toward different
types of in-room technology
H9B. Independent consumers show no difference in their perceived control toward different
types of in-room technology
Intrusions into privacy and other privacy-related issues: a probabilistic perspective Customers’
reservation about the disclosure and use of their personal information are examples of privacy
issues (Robbin, 2001). Smith et al. (1996) describe privacy concerns as an individual's
perception of how well the confidentiality of their personal data has been protected.
Anthropomorphic and non-anthropomorphic settings have different effects on customers'
implicit privacy rules and expectations (Martin, 2016). Wright and Xie argue that exposing
customers to anthropomorphic websites might increase their awareness of privacy issues
(2019). (For instance, worries about personal data being leaked). Due to the increased humanity
and interaction of service robots, consumers are increasingly concerned about being observed,
tracked, and even influenced (Bar celos et al., 2018). Users are more concerned about their
privacy when an anthropomorphized IVA requests it, as shown by Ha et al. (2021). (vs. a non-
anthropomorphized IVA). Although the study's authors concluded that anthropomorphism may
make customers more wary of sharing personal information, they did not elaborate on when or
under what circumstances this impact occurred.
There is a negative correlation between customers' perceptions of risk and their willingness to
adopt new technologies. Thus, we hypothesize that
H11. Perceived privacy risk has a significant negative direct effect on individuals’ attitude
towards technology adoption in full-service hotels.
According to service-dominant logic (SDL), consumers and service providers work together to
co-create a unique service experience (Payne et al., 2008; Prahalad and Ramaswamy, 2004).
During the service delivery process, value is produced when a client and a service provider
work together to accomplish a common objective (such as making a hotel reservation or
developing an itinerary) by coordinating the use of various resources. SDL classifies resources
as either "operands," which are things like raw materials or machinery, or "operants," which
are things like knowledge and skills that may have an effect on "operands."
In order to better understand human reactions during human-computer interactions, social
response theory (Moon, 2000; Nass and Moon, 2000) is frequently applied. This theory posits
that when people are confronted with computers that exhibit human characteristics or social
cues, they are more likely to treat the computers as social actors. Although they realise that
computers "do not comprehend emotions, intents, identities, or human motives," people
nonetheless use interpersonal interaction schemas and social standards when interacting with
computers (Moon, 2000, p.325).
Customers that are task-oriented have goals in mind whenever they engage with a service
(Cheung et al., 2021), and they'd want to get what they need as quickly and easily as possible
(Albrecht et al., 2017). To them, it is unbearable to engage in anything that is not directly
related to achieving their current goals (McFarland et al., 2006). Customers that are task -
oriented are more inclined to spend time and energy on service activities because they know
that doing so will increase their chance of receiving value from the service environment. In
other words, task-oriented consumers are more likely to make spontaneous and active
purchases even when no firms are involved. Customers that are very task-oriented may not care
much about a robot's active vs passive participation in the service process. Customers that are
less task-oriented and hence less prepared to commit resources in the service process can
benefit from the company's proactive robotic service. For this reason, fewer task-oriented
consumers depend primarily on the proactive support of robots to achieve their service goals.
Thus, we can hypothesize:
H16. Customers’ task orientation moderates the positive effect of technology interaction
(proactivity) on customer’s satisfaction, such that the effect is stronger at a low level of task
orientation than at a high level.
4. METHODOLOGY
4.1 Design
This research proposed a conceptual model which is yet to be tested empirically. In this section,
we like to propose the research methodology which can be adopted in future research to test
the validity of the model.
5. CONCLUSION
Assumptions like these lead to the conclusion that the sorts of technological facilities
implemented by hotels significantly affect the ease of use and perceived utility experienced by
guests. Furthermore, guests' perceptions of the quality of their service interactions with hotel
robots that seem human might be influenced by the presence of good emotions and a sense of
trust. Moreover, clients worry more about the privacy of medium-anthropomorphic robots than
they do of low- or high-anthropomorphic robots. Furthermore, guests' perceptions of privacy
have a crucial role in shaping their views regarding the use of technology at full-service hotels.
Customer happiness and ratings of service interactions may also increase as a result of
technological adoption. According to the findings, consumers' sense of control, task
orientation, and self-efficacy may buffer the negative consequences of adopting new
technologies on their happiness.
7. LIMITATION
This conceptual study has limits, but so do many research papers. To begin, the study only
includes the hotel business, thus its results may not apply elsewhere. Second, the research is
dependent on self-reported measures, which may not be representative of actual views and
actions among the participants. The third limitation is that the research only looked at a small
subset of technological luxuries, so the findings may not apply to other forms of technology.
Fourthly, the research may have missed certain relevant aspects that affect consumer happiness
and growth because of its emphasis on anthropomorphism. Fifthly, there's a chance that the
results can't be extrapolated to the full population because of how small the sample was. Sixth,
the data gathering period may have rendered the research non-generalizable to the future.
Seventh, researchers' own bias might skew the results if they go into the study with their own
set of assumptions about what they'll uncover. Finally, the absence of a control group might
hinder the study's capacity to draw causal conclusions.
Based on the findings of this concept paper, future research could explore the following areas:
a. Future research can validate the model by empirical data.
b. Investigating the impact of anthropomorphism on customer satisfaction and business
growth in other industries, such as retail or healthcare, to determine if the effects found
in the hotel industry are generalizable to other contexts.
c. Examining the impact of different degrees of anthropomorphism on customer
satisfaction and business growth in the hotel industry, to determine at what point the
effects of anthropomorphism become diminishing or even negative.
d. Examining the impact of anthropomorphism on customer privacy concerns in more
depth, by exploring how different types of anthropomorphic robots (e.g., humanoid