Harnessing service robots to increase frontline service employees’ safety and health: The critical role of CSR

Abstract

Service organizations are increasingly introducing service robots to frontline service deliveries. The majority of existing research focuses on how customers perceive and experience these robots, whereas limited attention has been paid to understanding how they might impact employee health and safety. Building on sociotechnical systems theory, we propose a conceptual framework for understanding the mixed effect of service robots on frontline service employees’ health and safety. We also examine what organizations can do to maximize the benefits and minimize adverse health and safety implications through their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. The proposed framework can not only guide future research, but can also be used to help organizations ensure that the introduction and implementation of service robots to frontline encounters can promote a physically, financially, emotionally, and identity safe work environment.