Determinants of employees’ willingness to seek help from robots

Abstract

A common problem in top-down technology projects is lack of end-user involvement. Employees’ willingness to seek help from robots in internal service scenarios is important for the successful implementation of service robots in the hospitality industry. This study conducts individual in-depth interviews to propose a model regarding the determinants of employees’ willingness to seek help from robots. Findings indicate that robots’ characteristics (i.e., their relative advantages, functions, and appearance) and employees’ characteristics (i.e., their help-seeking needs, their psychological defenses, availability of helpers, demographics, and exposure to working with robots) are important determinants of employees’ willingness to seek help from robots. Robots’ characteristics increase employees’ perceived benefits, which leads to employees’ willingness to seek help from robots. Moreover, robots’ appearance influences employees’ perceived psychological distance and employee–robot fit, which influence employees’ willingness to seek help. This study provides an initial step for understanding the reasons that employees are willing to seek help from robots.