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Robotic employees vs. human employees: Customers’ perceived authenticity at casual dining restaurants

Song, Hanqun
; 
Wang, Y-C.
; 
Yang, H.
; 
Ma, E.
Publication Date
2022-09
End of Embargo
Supervisor
Keywords
Research Development Fund Publication Prize Award, Robot, Product level theory, Authenticity, Service robots, Repurchase intention, Restaurant
Rights
© 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Reproduced in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license.
cb
Peer-Reviewed
Yes
Open Access status
openAccess
Accepted for publication
29/07/2022
Institution
Department
Awarded
Embargo end date
Collections
Management and Law Publications
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Additional title
Abstract
Cost-saving and sanitation considerations and the challenge of labor shortages have catalyzed the application of service robots in restaurants. Although service robots can perform multiple roles and functions, more research attention is needed in hospitality contexts on how different combinations of using robots and humans at different product/service layers may influence customers’ experiences and behavioral intentions. Building on the literature of product level theory and authenticity, this study empirically investigated this issue with data collected from 364 customers in China. The results show that the use of robots in core and facilitating product levels is less effective in improving consumers’ perceived service and brand authenticity. Consumers’ perceived service authenticity positively influences their brand authenticity and repurchase intention. Consumers’ perceived brand authenticity only positively affects their repurchase intention. Both theoretical and managerial implications are discussed in this paper.
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/10454/19127
Version
Accepted manuscript
Citation
Song H, Wang Y-C, Yang H et al (2022) Robotic employees vs. human employees: Customers’ perceived authenticity at casual dining restaurants. International Journal of Hospitality Management. 106: 103301.
Link to publisher’s version
Link to published version
Link to Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2022.103301
Type
Article
Qualification name
Notes
Research Development Fund Publication Prize Award winner, July 2022