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Motivational, Situational, and Psychological Model of Service Robot Adoption in Hotels: The Moderating Role of Involvement

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Abstract

The shortcoming of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and its variations have been highlighted in literature for quite some time. A critical limitation of these models is ignoring the social aspect, how situational and motivational involvement impact customers’ adoption of these technologies. After the initial phase of novelty, an individual’s Involvement with technology plays a crucial role in shaping their behavior regarding a technology. A more thorough comprehension of customers’ experiences and the memorable and captivating moments they encounter is necessary to develop a comprehensive understanding of the adoption of service robots. Using motivation theory and the theory of conspicuous approach, we propose and test a novel model to examine the role of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation and social status on customers’ attitudes and intention to use service robots during the pandemic. Using a sample of 525 U.S. hotel guests, we showed that motivation and social status positively influence customer attitude and, consequently, their intention to use service robots in hotels. Customer attitude fully mediates the relationship between variables in the model. Additionally, a multi-group analysis of involvement (low and high) indicated that guests’ attitudes had a more substantial effect on their intention to use service robots for the high involvement group. Finally, with a linear regression model, we showed that the feelings of safety and comfort influence the customers’ intention to use service robots during the pandemic. This study expands knowledge on technology adoption, motivation, and conspicuous consumption theories. It also provides valuable insight to hotel managers in better understanding what influences customer adoption of new technologies.

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Data Availability

The dataset generated during the current study is not publicly available as it contains proprietary information that the authors acquired through a license. Information on how to obtain it and reproduce the analysis is available from the corresponding author on request.

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Funding

This project was funded through the Summer Research Grant provided by the University of Nevada Las Vegas, William F. Harrah Hospitality School.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Tourism, Health, and Event Management (THEM), University of Florida, 32611, Gainesville, FL, PO Box 118209, USA

    Fatemeh Binesh

  2. William F. Harrah College of Hospitality, University of Nevada Las Vegas, 4505 S. Maryland Pkwy, 89154-6021, Las Vegas, NV, Box 456021, USA

    Seyhmus Baloglu

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  1. Fatemeh Binesh
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Correspondence to Fatemeh Binesh.

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Binesh, F., Baloglu, S. Motivational, Situational, and Psychological Model of Service Robot Adoption in Hotels: The Moderating Role of Involvement. Int J of Soc Robotics 15, 1603–1618 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12369-023-01062-5

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