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Article
Publication date: 16 May 2023

Fanfan Zhang, Qinan Zhang and Hang Wu

As a new research interest, robots have surpassed human performance across several aspects. In this research, the authors wish to investigate whether robot adopters perform better…

Abstract

Purpose

As a new research interest, robots have surpassed human performance across several aspects. In this research, the authors wish to investigate whether robot adopters perform better than non-adopters in terms of export behavior, especially when distinguishing between different types of firms.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors try a new strategy to identify the extent of robot adoption by import data and compare the export trajectories of robot adopters and non-adopters by employing the propensity score matching-difference in difference (PSM-DID) method.

Findings

The authors find that robot adopters are more likely to enter export markets and improve subsequent export performance, as the gains from doing so can spread the reduction in variable production costs to a larger customer base abroad. But this rule does not always seem to work; for large-scale firms, robot adoption makes it easier to win export competition and increase market share, while small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) do not seem to enjoy any benefits from adoption. More importantly, robot adoption also leads to the fiercer market competition when improving the productivity of firms, which will threaten smaller non-adopters.

Originality/value

The findings provide new evidence for the scale bias of robotics and offer new insights into whether exporters or future exporters ought to adopt robots in production.

Highlights

  1. First, distinguishing from existing research, we explain the controversial results of previous work on robotics by providing evidence from export markets and using the concept of size bias, which helps to update the theoretical interpretation of robotics and provides new insights for current and future exporters to evaluate their robot adoption decisions.

  2. Second, we extend previous research by further considering the potential robotics threats faced by non-adopters, especially we record that export gains of robot adopters are partially at the expense of smaller non-adopters, which provides new evidence for the rationale of SME protection policies and supplements robotics theory with new knowledge, such as the competitive game of firms related to robot adoption.

  3. Third, to our knowledge, prior research tended to examine the economic effects of robotics through industry data provided by the IFR, this may lead to systematic bias due to the inability to distinguish the robot adoption intentions of different firms. In this respect, we try a new strategy through robot import data and further distinguish between robot adopters and non-adopters in the sample, which helps to mitigate the potential bias in the findings and provide a complement to the recently developed literature related to robotics.

  4. Finally, as we pointed out earlier, robot adoption could be an interesting research work for the Chinese export market, which helps us to obtain some special findings, such as in assessing whether the benefits of robots are equally appropriate for economies that previously had an advantage in terms of labor.

First, distinguishing from existing research, we explain the controversial results of previous work on robotics by providing evidence from export markets and using the concept of size bias, which helps to update the theoretical interpretation of robotics and provides new insights for current and future exporters to evaluate their robot adoption decisions.

Second, we extend previous research by further considering the potential robotics threats faced by non-adopters, especially we record that export gains of robot adopters are partially at the expense of smaller non-adopters, which provides new evidence for the rationale of SME protection policies and supplements robotics theory with new knowledge, such as the competitive game of firms related to robot adoption.

Third, to our knowledge, prior research tended to examine the economic effects of robotics through industry data provided by the IFR, this may lead to systematic bias due to the inability to distinguish the robot adoption intentions of different firms. In this respect, we try a new strategy through robot import data and further distinguish between robot adopters and non-adopters in the sample, which helps to mitigate the potential bias in the findings and provide a complement to the recently developed literature related to robotics.

Finally, as we pointed out earlier, robot adoption could be an interesting research work for the Chinese export market, which helps us to obtain some special findings, such as in assessing whether the benefits of robots are equally appropriate for economies that previously had an advantage in terms of labor.

Details

Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, vol. 34 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-038X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 April 2022

Hakseung Shin

Given the recent growth of service robot research in hospitality and tourism management (HTM), the purpose of this study is to identify a research agenda by conducting a…

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Abstract

Purpose

Given the recent growth of service robot research in hospitality and tourism management (HTM), the purpose of this study is to identify a research agenda by conducting a systematic and holistic review of service robot research published in both HTM and broader business management (BM) journals.

Design/methodology/approach

Adopting a service ecosystem perspective, 38 HTM articles and 13 highly cocited BM articles out of 126 BM articles were qualitatively reviewed to analyze the intellectual structures and foundations of robotics research.

Findings

The relationships between service robots and the four multilevel actors of the service ecosystem were analyzed: the consumer, employee, management and society. Twenty-eight specific research questions were proposed for the robotics-customer relationship, robotics-employee relationship, robotics-management relationship and robotics-society relationship.

Research limitations/implications

This study contributes to understanding the intellectual structures and evolution of rapidly growing HTM robotics research in terms of the holistic relationships among the four service ecosystem actors of robotics. Future research needs to identify other actors and their activities to examine the service ecosystem of robotics.

Originality/value

This study provides a pathway for future hospitality and tourism research by helping to focus on important robotics issues and further develop the theoretical and empirical knowledge of robotics. This work informs practitioners of key issues associated with the industrial adoption of robots.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 34 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 August 2023

Hong Luo and Huiying Qiao

A new round of technological revolution is impacting various aspects of society. However, the importance of technology adoption in fostering firm innovation is underexplored…

Abstract

Purpose

A new round of technological revolution is impacting various aspects of society. However, the importance of technology adoption in fostering firm innovation is underexplored. Therefore, this study aims to investigate whether robot adoption affects technological innovation and how human capital plays a role in this relationship in the era of circular economy.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the robot adoption data from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) and panel data of China's listed manufacturing firms from 2011 to 2020, this study uses regression models to test the impact of industrial robots on firm innovation and the mediating role of human capital.

Findings

The results demonstrate that the adoption of industrial robots can significantly promote high-quality innovation. Specifically, a one-unit increase in the number of robots per 100 employees is associated with a 13.52% increase in the number of invention patent applications in the following year. The mechanism tests show that industrial robots drive firm innovation by accumulating more highly educated workers and allocating more workers to R&D jobs. The findings are more significant for firms in industries with low market concentration, in labor-intensive industries and in regions with a shortage of high-end talent.

Research limitations/implications

Due to data limitations, the sample of this study is limited to listed manufacturing firms, so the impact of industrial robots on promoting innovation may be underestimated. In addition, this study cannot observe the dynamic process of human capital management by firms after adopting robots.

Practical implications

The Chinese government should continue to promote the intelligent upgrading of the manufacturing industry and facilitate the promotion of robots in innovation. This implication can also be applied to developing countries that hope to learn from China's experience. In addition, this study emphasizes the role of human capital in the innovation-promoting process of robots. This highlights the importance of firms to strengthen employee education and training.

Social implications

The adoption of industrial robots has profoundly influenced the production and lifestyle of human society. This study finds that the adoption of robots contributes to firm innovation, which helps people gain a deeper understanding of the positive impacts brought about by industrial intelligence.

Originality/value

By exploring the impact of industrial robots on firm innovation, this study offers crucial evidence at the firm level to comprehend the economic implications of robot adoption based on circular economy and human perspectives. Moreover, this study reveals that human capital is an important factor in how industrial robots affect firm innovation, providing an important complement to previous studies.

Details

Management Decision, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0025-1747

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 September 2023

Hongfei Zhu, Xiekui Zhang and Baocheng Yu

This study aims to investigate whether the increasing robot adoption will affect employment rate and wages to contribute to the economic cycle and sustainable development in the…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate whether the increasing robot adoption will affect employment rate and wages to contribute to the economic cycle and sustainable development in the world.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors introduce a two-way fixed effect model and ordinary least-squares (OLS) model to evaluate the influence based on relevant data of the eighteen countries with the largest robot stocks and robot densities in the world from 2006 to 2019 to test the influences and do the robustness test and endogeneity test by using empirical models.

Findings

The authors’ research findings suggest that increasing robot adoption can cause strong negative impacts on employment for both males and females in these economies. Second, the effect of robots on reducing job opportunities has penetrated different industries. It means that this negative impact of robots is comprehensive for the industry. Third, robot adoption can have a strong positive influence on wages and increase workers' incomes.

Research limitations/implications

The limitations of the study are that the influence of industrial intelligence technologies on the circular economy is diversities in different countries. Thus, this study should consider the development levels of different economies to do additional confirmatory studies.

Practical implications

This study makes out the correlations between industrial robots and the employment market from the circular economy perspective. The result proves the existence of this influence relationship, and the authors propose some suggestions to promote sustainable economic development.

Social implications

This paper addresses the activity of industrial intelligence technologies in the labor market. The employment market is an important part of the circular economy, and it will benefit social development if the government provides appropriate guidance for social investment and industrial layout.

Originality/value

This study is one of the few studies which considered the impact of industrial robots on employment and wages from the perspective of different industries, and this is very important for the circular economy in the world. The results of this paper provide an instructive reference for government policymakers and other countries to stabilize the labor market and optimize human resources for sustainable economic development.

Details

Management Decision, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0025-1747

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 December 2019

Seyed Mohammad Sadegh Khaksar, Bret Slade, Jennifer Wallace and Kaur Gurinder

The purpose of this paper is to address the role of social robots in the education industry, specifically within special developmental schools, as a part of an innovation…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to address the role of social robots in the education industry, specifically within special developmental schools, as a part of an innovation technology portfolio. It identifies critical success factors (CSFs) arising from the development, adoption and implementation of social robots to educate students with special needs and assist their teachers.

Design/methodology/approach

The study engaged in longitudinal research over 12 months, tracking the role of the Matilda robot in providing educational services to students with special needs.

Findings

The results propose a three-faceted framework for social robot application in special education: development, adoption and implementation.

Originality/value

The study has shown the willingness of students and teachers to embrace social robot technology, and the CSF that arise from this adoption. It has also found that social robots achieve the greatest success within the development, adoption and implementation framework when championed by executive management, and peer teacher support.

Details

International Journal of Educational Management, vol. 34 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-354X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 October 2021

Mohamed Abou-Shouk, Hesham Ezzat Gad and Ayman Abdelhakim

This study aims to explore the factors affecting customers’ attitudes to the adoption of robots in hotels and travel agencies.

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to explore the factors affecting customers’ attitudes to the adoption of robots in hotels and travel agencies.

Design/methodology/approach

Structural equation modelling was used to test the extended technology acceptance model based on data collected from 570 customers of hotels and travel agencies.

Findings

The findings revealed that hotel customers have more positive attitudes to service robots than their peers in travel agencies.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the literature on robots in tourism and responds to the call to investigate customers’ attitudes to the adoption of robots in developing countries.

探究消费者对旅游和酒店业采用机器人的态度

研究目的

本研究旨在探索影响酒店旅游服务中使用机器人消费者态度的因素

研究设计/方法/途径

基于570个酒店和旅行社消费者的数据, 运用结构方程来检测TAM延伸模型

研究发现

研究结果显示酒店消费者比旅行社消费者对服务机器人有更加积极的态度

研究原创性/价值

本研究对以发展中国家为研究背景, 关于消费者对服务机器人的态度的旅游文献做出了贡献

Details

Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, vol. 12 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-9880

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 May 2023

Guendalina Anzolin and Antonio Andreoni

This paper focuses on understanding firm-level determinants of industrial robots' adoption and how these determinants result in heterogenous processes of robotisation across firms…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper focuses on understanding firm-level determinants of industrial robots' adoption and how these determinants result in heterogenous processes of robotisation across firms within the same sector. The paper presents results from in-depth case studies of final assemblers in the South African automotive sector.

Design/methodology/approach

The research has been conducted through multiple case studies with a focus on final assemblers. During the case studies, as well as before and after it, data coming from in-depth semi-structured interviews were triangulated with secondary data available from the international database on industrial robots' adoption and documents provided by firms and institutions.

Findings

This paper identifies three firm-level determinants of robotisation – i.e. modularity of the production process, flexibility in the use of technology and stability in product design. The results also showed that firms' robotisation depend on each of these determinants as well as their interdependence. The authors introduce a framework to study interdependence between these technology–organisational choices, which reveals heterogenous patterns of technology deployment and related managerial implications.

Originality/value

This research introduces a new framework on factors driving industrial robotisation – a key digital production technology – and offers empirical evidence of the heterogenous deployment of this technology. The authors identify two main manufacturing approaches to robotisation in the automotive sector: one in which the firm designs a robotised process around a certain product design – i.e. the German/American way and one in which the firm designs its product based on certain robotised processes – i.e. the Japanese way. These findings are valuable for both industry, operational research and the scientific community as they reveal heterogeneity on the “how” of robotisation and implications for manufacturing technology management.

Details

Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, vol. 34 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-038X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 January 2024

Fushu Luan, Wenhua Qi, Wentao Zhang and Victor Chang

The connection between digital manufacturing technologies (Industry 4.0) and the environment has sparked discussions on firms' disclosure of negative information on pollutant…

Abstract

Purpose

The connection between digital manufacturing technologies (Industry 4.0) and the environment has sparked discussions on firms' disclosure of negative information on pollutant emissions and the pursuit of positive environmental outcomes. However, very few studies explore how it relates to a firm's robot usage and its mechanism. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impacts of robot penetration on firms' environmental governance in China.

Design/methodology/approach

The ordered probit model (and probit model) are employed and empirically tested with a sample of 1,579 Chinese listed firms from 2010 to 2019.

Findings

The study reveals a negative relationship between robot usage and the disclosure of negative indicators and a U-shaped relationship between robot usage and positive environmental outcomes. Among the sample, nonstate-owned enterprises (SOEs) display unsatisfactory performance, while heavily polluting industries disclose more information on pollutant emissions. The robot–environmental governance nexus is conditional on firm size, capital intensity and local economic development.

Originality/value

The study proposes a fresh view of corporate environmental governance to assess the environmental implications of robot adoption. It also contributes to identifying the curvilinear, moderating and heterogenous effects in the robot–environment nexus. The results provide rich policy implications for the development of industrial intelligence and corporate environmental governance in the circular economy (CE) context.

Details

Information Technology & People, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-3845

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 14 October 2019

Stanislav Ivanov and Craig Webster

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…

Abstract

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.

Details

Robots, Artificial Intelligence, and Service Automation in Travel, Tourism and Hospitality
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78756-688-0

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 July 2023

Narjess Said, Kaouther Ben Mansour, Nedra Bahri-Ammari, Anish Yousaf and Abhishek Mishra

This study aims to propose a research model integrating technology acceptance model 3 (TAM3) constructs and human aspects of humanoid service robots (HSRs), measured by the…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to propose a research model integrating technology acceptance model 3 (TAM3) constructs and human aspects of humanoid service robots (HSRs), measured by the Godspeed questionnaire series and tested across two hotel properties in Japan and the USA.

Design/methodology/approach

Potential participants were approached randomly by email invitation. A final sample size of 395 across two hotels, one in Japan and the other in the USA, was obtained, and the data were analysed using structural equation modelling.

Findings

The results confirm that perceived usefulness, driven by subjective norms and output quality, and perceived ease of use, driven by perceived enjoyment and absence of anxiety, are the immediate direct determinants of users’ re-patronage intentions for HSRs. Results also showed that users prefer anthropomorphism, perceived intelligence and the safety of an HSR for reusing it.

Practical implications

The findings have practical implications for the hospitality industry, suggesting multiple attributes of an HSRs that managers need to consider before deploying them in their properties.

Originality/value

The current study proposes an integrated model determining factors that affect the re-patronage of HSRs in hotels.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

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