Service Robots, the Innovation of Our Era: A Qualitative Research in the Tourism Sector

Authors : Bülent YILDIZ, Ertuğrul ÇAVDAR, Dilber Nilay KÜTAHYALI

Pages : 184-198

View : 20 | Download : 8

Publication Date : 2022-09-30

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Today, robots are widely used in service and manufacturing operations. Service robots are becoming more and more popular in the tourism sector. Therefore, there is a growing body of research on consumer perceptions and expectations of service robots. This study also investigated consumers` views of service robots in the tourism sector. The sample consisted of 787 participants. Data were collected online using a survey. The data were analyzed using MAXQDA. The results revealed nine dimensions: emotion, standardization, time, social impact, convenience, communication, impact on the workplace, technical problems, and assurance. The dimension of emotion consists of ten subdimensions: understanding emotions, apathy, sincerity, interaction, problematic interaction, personalized service, body language, attractiveness, irritability, and the privilege of being a human. The dimension of `standardization` consisted of seven subdimensions: reliability, defined job, quality, monotony, patience, practicality, and equality. The dimension of `time` consisted of two subdimensions: speed and timeliness. The dimension of `social impact` consisted of six subdimensions: unemployment, social communication, adaptation problems, financial problems, social problems, and technology dependence. The dimension of `convenience` consisted of four subdimensions: facilitating, workload, flexibility, and safety. The dimension of `communication` consisted of four subdimensions: understanding, foreign languages, informing, and comfort. The dimension of `impact on the workplace` consisted of five subdimensions: efficiency, cost, experience, suitability for the workplace, and workforce stability. The dimension of `assurance` consisted of four subdimensions: health, danger, trust, and information security.
Keywords : robot technology, tourism industry, service robots