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The purpose of this study is to propose a refined technology acceptance model (TAM) to examine the relationship between factors that affect travelers' use of hotel self-service kiosks.

The target population of the study is domestic travelers whose e-mail addresses are in a publicly available database. The measures in this study were developed based on a thorough review of the previous literature. A self-administered questionnaire was developed and distributed through online, and a structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis was conducted by LISREL 8.0 to test the proposed extended technology acceptance model (TAM).

Results suggested that all external variables (i.e. perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, compatibility, and perceived risks) have significant direct effects on travelers' attitude toward using hotel self-service kiosks. However, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use did not have significant effects on travelers' satisfaction. Specifically, compatibility was the most important factor that influences travelers' attitude toward using hotel self-service kiosks, followed by perceived ease of use. Further, perceived risks have a significant influence on travelers' satisfaction, followed by compatibility.

This paper provides guidance which will be useful to hotel managers and marketers seeking to improve travelers' acceptance of hotel self-service kiosks when utilizing these in their service delivery as well as to manage travelers' satisfaction of their experience with hotel self-service kiosks.

The new refined model of factors affecting travelers' use of hotel self-service kiosks comprises three new factors, including compatibility, perceived risks, and satisfaction.

The advent of technology has played a crucial role in changing the landscape of the hospitality sector. One such technology is the adoption and installation of kiosks in hotels. While some of the hotels have adopted and installed kiosks for self-services, the other hotels are still not very comfortable with the idea of self-service. This paper aims to explore the possibilities, challenges and issues that hoteliers face while dealing with self-service kiosks, it further investigates the customer’s perspective and its benefits to the end-user.

This study has assimilated data from hotel managers and executives that have deployed kiosks. This study involved the collection of primary data through structured interviews. Eight different hotels from the UK and India have been compared and analyzed to formulate subcategories to answer the research questions. A total of 200 customers from both the countries were approached to get the primary data; the customers were from the same hotel where the hotel executives and managers were interviewed.

The customers accepted Kiosks as easy to use, fast to run, fun to operate, but, lacking human interaction and counter language issues were simultaneously discussed. Kiosks have been emerging as self-service technologies in hotels and play a key role in reducing bottlenecks in hotel operations. The technology anxiety and counter service argument is merely a transition phase that will fade away gradually. However, the financial feasibility and the level of adoption depend upon the level of operations and the demographic characteristics of customers.

The dependence of data from the person interviewed and their biases for answers, along with the trust and credibility of the data available online remain the biggest challenge. Increasing the sample size and more participation from different hotels would have made the study even more useful.

The research seeks to eliminate the gap in research by studying both the hotels' and the customers' perspective toward kiosks deployment in hotels. The results of the study would highlight the potential challenges being faced by hotel operations and opportunities they perceive in kiosks installation, therefore the results are very useful for hotels, hoteliers, academicians and students pursuing a career in the hospitality sector.

This study examined the antecedents of technostressors as well as how customers' perceived convenience and technostressors of using a check-in/out kiosk influence their behavioral intention in a full-service hotel setting.

Using survey data collected from 630 hotel customers, hypotheses were tested via structural equation modeling and multi-group analysis.

The results showed that perceived usefulness of a check-in/out kiosk had direct effects on both technostressors (i.e. work overload and role ambiguity), and that perceived ease-of-use had indirect effects on the technostressors, via perceived usefulness. The findings showed that both role ambiguity and perceived convenience significantly influenced intention to use a check-in/out kiosk. Intention to use was positively associated with intention to revisit a hotel providing the kiosk. These findings were equivalent across the younger and older groups.

Based on the findings, hotels can implement effective strategies to reduce technostressors associated with a check-in/out kiosk and focus on enhancing the factors that influence customer acceptance of the system. This is especially important given the increased emphasis on self-service technology since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This research contributed to the relevant literature by developing a check-in/out kiosk acceptance model using a multi-theoretical approach, and empirically testing it within the full-service hotel domain. It fills the knowledge gap regarding the antecedents and outcomes of technostressors in the hospitality research literature by providing empirical evidence.

This study aims to compare the performance of self-service kiosks in a quick-service setting with the performance of cashiers. In particular, this study explores both internal responses and external responses between the two ordering methods with the moderating role of crowdedness.

This study develops a theoretical framework based on the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) model. A 2 × 2 field experiment was conducted in a real quick-service outlet to collect data.

The results reveal that customers reported a better experience when using self-service kiosks compared to placing orders with cashiers. However, cashiers generated more revenue for the quick-service outlet than kiosks. Significant interaction effects were found for external responses. Customers spent more time placing orders with cashiers than with kiosks in less crowded periods, while cashiers generated more sales than kiosks during busier periods.

This study enriches the hospitality and tourism literature by applying the S-O-R framework in an experimental design incorporating both internal and external responses. The findings on the interaction between ordering methods and crowdedness on external responses provide practical insights for quick-service restaurant operators to find a balance between technology and human services.

自助服务机可否超越收银员? 以刺激 – 机制 – 反应 (SOR) 模型作为理论框架的点餐体验研究

本论文在快餐环境下比较自助服务机与收银员的业绩表现差异。具体而言, 本研究从内部和外部反映两方面探索了两种不同点餐方法以及就餐环境拥挤程度作为调节变量。

本研究借用刺激 – 机制 – 反应 (SOR) 模型作为理论框架, 以快餐店为环境进行了2x2 实验。

研究结果显示, 相比较餐饮收银员, 消费者对自助服务机更加较积极的顾客反应。但是餐厅收银员会产生相对较高的销售额。针对对外反应, 研究结果呈现显著的交互作用。 消费者在相对不拥挤的环境下更愿意花时间借助自助服务机点餐, 但是收银员比自助服务机在高峰时段更能产生较高销售额。

本研究借助SOR的理论框架用实验法来研究消费者内部和外部反应, 从而进一步充实了酒店和旅游文献。基于点餐方法和拥挤程度的交互作用, 本研究结果为快餐产业实现人工和科技的平衡提供了实践意义。

自助服务机 S-O-R 理论框架 快餐厅 拥挤程度 内部反应 外部反应

研究型论文

Purpose: This paper presents a review of the current state and potential capabilities for application of robots, artificial intelligence and automated services (RAISA) in hotel companies.

Design/methodology/approach: A two-step approach was applied in this study. First, the authors make a theoretical overview of the robots, artificial intelligence and service automation (RAISA) in hotels. Second, the authors make a detailed overview of various case studies from global hotel practice.

Findings: The application of RAISA in hotel companies is examined in connection with the impact that technology has on guest experience during each of the five stages of the guest cycle: pre-arrival, arrival, stay, departure, assessment.

Research implications: Its implications can be searched with respect to future research. It deals with topics such as how different generations (guests and employees) perceive RAISA in the hotel industry and what is the attitude of guests in different categories of hotels (luxury and economy) towards the use of RAISA. It also shows what is the attitude of different types of tourists (holiday, business, health, cultural, etc.) and what kinds of robots (androids or machines) are more appropriate for different types of hotel operations.

Practical implications: The implications are related to the improvement of operations and operational management, marketing and sales, enhancement of customer experience and service innovation, training and management.

Originality/value: This book chapter complements and expands research on the role of RAISA in the hotel industry and makes some projections about the use of technologies in the future.

Purpose: The purpose of this chapter is to elaborate on the major conceptual and practical considerations of the use of robots, artificial intelligence and service automation (RAISA) in travel, tourism, and hospitality companies (TTH).

Design/methodology/approach: The chapter develops a conceptual framework of the major issues related to the use of RAISA in the travel, tourism and hospitality context.

Findings: The findings indicate that while there is a creeping incursion of RAISA into TTH, there are major concerns that the TTH industry has to consider in regard to automating TTH services.

Practical implications: In a practical sense, the chapter identifies the decisions that TTH industry professionals need to take when dealing with RAISA technologies. Furthermore, the chapter elaborates on the impacts RAISA have on business operations, marketing management, human resources and financial management of TTH companies. The TTH industry has to adjust its practices and communicate with its workforce in ways as not to increase Luddite tendencies and resistance among employees.

Social implications: The analysis shows that there is an upcoming era in which automation of services will be so advanced that wealthy countries may not need to import labour to make up with its own aging workforce, suggesting that RAISA and its further development has the potential for disrupting society and international relations.

Originality/value: This chapter provides a comprehensive review of the issues related to the use of RAISA in the TTH industry, including the drivers of RAISA adoption in tourism, advantages and disadvantages of RAISA technologies compared to human employees, decisions that managers need to take, and the impacts of RAISA on business processes. It shows how macroenvironmental pressures shape the microeconomic decisions to use RAISA in a TTH context.

The purpose of this paper is to draw upon the theory of consumption values and the experiential value scale to develop a conceptual model concerning hospitality customer’s use of self-service technologies (SSTs) and their impact on consumers’ service experience.

Questionnaires were administered to 220 hotel and restaurant customers. The researchers tested the hypotheses by using descriptive analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis.

Both extrinsic and intrinsic attributes of SSTs influence consumers’ satisfaction with SST usage significantly, while the extrinsic attributes play a stronger role. It is worth noting that while the intrinsic attributes have a significant impact on consumers’ transcendent service experience, the extrinsic attributes negatively influence such experience.

The findings help managers create effective strategies to better match consumers’ needs and to deliver more customized self-service experience. The role of SSTs can be expanded beyond functional attributes to satisfy consumers’ curiosity, foster customer–customer interactions and personalize consumer experience.

Although most SSTs research focus on technology adoption intention, features, functionality and benefits to the service provider, this research is among the first attempts to examine the role of SSTs in creating better consumer experience. The bidimensional conceptualization of SSTs experience developed in this research suggests that SSTs in the hotel and restaurant sector should be utilized for reasons beyond their utilitarian attributes: SSTs should be designed to help create a transcendent service experience.

Hotel labour costs in Malaysia are increasing. This paper aims to explore Langkawi hotel managers’ perceptions about reducing labour costs using various information and communication technology (ICT) innovations.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with managers from 19 budget and boutique resorts on Langkawi Island, Malaysia. Qualitative data were recorded, transcribed and content analysed using latent coding.

All hotel managers reported using some form of ICT. The purpose for ICT adoption found was to increase productivity and efficiency. A hotel’s customer mix, the need of the organization and the technology budget available influenced the outcome of technological innovation. Langkawi hotels had successfully implemented Property Management Systems (PMSs), but self-check-in/out kiosks were not seen as important as they do not meet their customers’ service expectations.

This study identifies some factors influencing uptake by hotels of technological innovations. This initial qualitative exploration of the technology adoption feasibility in Langkawi suggests that implementation to reduce labour cost is more likely for employee-operated devices rather than customer-operated devices.

This study contributes to the human resource (HR) management literature by providing insight into the reasons hotel managers introduce technology in a developing country context. Results suggests that hotels face challenges in reducing labour costs through technology. These insights may serve to guide policymakers and hotel managers in other developing countries that are planning to use technology to solve their HR issues. Luxury hotels can consider adopting ICT for back-of-the-house operations such as using a HR information system within the HR department and PMS for the hotel overall operation.

These findings can increase the Malaysians awareness of ICT importance, especially in the hotel industry.

The Malaysian national minimum wage order policy was introduced in 2012. This policy has resulted in increased labour costs and suggests a need to adopt ICT. This paper is the first to examine the viewpoints of hotel practitioners as to the viability of this strategy. Whilst many studies on the adoption of ICT in the hotel industry focus on its impact on productivity and firm’s performance using quantitative methods, this study used qualitative methods to explore hotel managers’ perceptions on its feasibility to reduce dependence on labour.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of several hotel promotional factors and consumers’ behavioral and demographic characteristics on their actual use of specific interactive information systems in hotels. The specific systems examined in this study were a hotel’s website, mobile app, push notification system, kiosk, smart TV in room, and tablet at front desk or in room.

A survey was conducted with a sample of 841 respondents who had stayed in a hotel that had interactive information systems. Logistic regression models were designed with the promotional factors (e.g. hotel staff encouraging purchasing products, push notifications or information presented on mobile devices or kiosks, seeing or hearing about other consumers using systems, advertising and press releases), behavioral variables (e.g. frequency and duration of stay) and demographic variables (e.g. gender and age) as independent variables. The independent variables were the individual systems used by guests.

The various promotional factors had a differential effect on consumers’ use of various interactive information systems. Information provided on mobile devices, staff encouraging purchasing and press releases and blogs, along with age and duration of stay, was found to have the highest impact on system usage.

This study examines for the first time, as per the authors’ knowledge, the actual use behavior of several hotel interactive systems, thus advancing the technology adoption literature. This study also utilizes a comprehensive list of hotel promotional factors that are able provide theoretical and empirical insight into the use of interactive systems, which was explained predominantly based on system perceptions and consumers’ characteristics.

本论文旨在研究若干酒店营销因素和消费者行为特征和统计人口特征对真正使用互动性系统的影响。本论文主要研究的主体包括, 酒店网站、移动APP、推送信息系统、自助服务机器、房间智能TV、以及前台或房间的平板电脑。

取样方式为问卷调查, 其样本数量是841位曾在酒店使用过互动系统的顾客。逻辑回归模型结合营销因因子（如酒店人员销售产品、推送信息、或者移动设备或者自助机上显示的营销信息、经由其他消费者介绍、广告、新闻稿等）, 行为特征变量（如酒店居住频率和长短）, 以及统计人口变量（如性别和年龄）作为因变量。因变量包括顾客使用的 独立系统。

多个营销因子对消费者使用多个互动性信息系统有着不同的影响。其中, 移动设备上的营销信息、人员销售、新闻稿和博客、以及消费者年龄和酒店居住长短对系统使用有最显著的影响。

本论文首次检验酒店互动性系统的真实使用情况, 因此对科技使用文献有显著价值。本论文还全面检验了一系列酒店营销因子, 从理论和实践角度来检验互动系统使用情况, 延展了之前对系统感知和消费者特性的理解。

关键词：互动科技、实际科技使用、酒店、逻辑回归

研究论文

The purpose of this paper is to provide a cohesive overview of the available self-service and customer value literature, identify customer value in self-service kiosks (SSKs), and analyze this value from the customer experience perspective.

The study comprises a systematic literature review of available works on customer value.

The paper presents conclusions on the SSK’s technological forms, presence in industries, and conceptual state. The review also provides a cohesive inventory of customer value elements in SSKs. The in-depth analysis proposes two alternative models of the customer value creation process: linear and circular.

The study reveals gaps stemming from the inconsistency and fragmented nature of previous research on customer value in SSKs. The gaps are treated as opportunities for future studies.

By identifying new sources of competitive advantage and new ways to improve customer service strategies and experience management, the findings support managerial decision making at the stages of considering, implementing, and improving SSK networks.

This study is the first to systematically review and provide an inventory of customer value elements in SSKs. It, therefore, offers new perspectives on customer value creation using self-service technology.