A comparative study on perceived experiential value and behavioral intentions in robot-enhanced restaurants: examining cultural and gender differences

Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to (a) investigate the effects of robot service efficiency, enthusiastic curiosity, escapist experience and sense of security on perceived experience value (PEV) and identify which dimension is the strongest determinant of PEV; (b) examine PEV’s effect on behavioral intention to dine in a robot-enhanced restaurant (RER); (c) examine cultural differences (Kazakh vs. United States consumers) on these dynamics; and (d) examine gender’s moderating effect between PEV and behavioral intention to dine in an RER.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were collected through a self-administered online survey based on a convenience nonprobability sampling technique with participants in Kazakhstan and the US Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to investigate relationships between the constructs.

Findings

The findings indicated that PEV was influenced positively and significantly by robot service efficiency, enthusiastic curiosity, escapist experience and sense of security. Gender moderated the relationship between PEV and behavioral intention. Also, multigroup analyses found notable behavioral differences between Kazakh and US participants.

Originality/value

Grounded in Expectancy-value Theory, the present study demonstrated the effects of experiential (escapist experience), psycho-emotional (enthusiastic curiosity) and quality conditions (service efficiency and sense of security) on PEV and consumers’ behavioral intentions, with variations observed across genders and cultures.

研究目的

本研究旨在：(a) 探讨机器人服务效率、好奇心、逃避体验和安全感对感知体验价值（PEV）的影响, 并确定哪个维度是PEV的最强决定因素; (b) 检验PEV对在机器人增强餐厅（RER）用餐的行为意图的影响; (c) 探讨这些动态中的文化差异（哈萨克消费者与美国消费者）; (d) 检验性别在PEV与在RER用餐行为意图之间的调节作用。

研究方法

数据通过自填式在线调查收集, 采用便利非概率抽样方法, 参与者来自哈萨克斯坦和美国。研究采用偏最小二乘结构方程模型来分析构念之间的关系。

研究发现

结果表明, 机器人服务效率、好奇心、逃避体验和安全感对PEV均具有正向显著影响。性别调节了PEV与行为意图之间的关系。此外, 多组分析发现了哈萨克和美国参与者之间显著的行为差异。

研究创新

本研究基于期望-价值理论, 展示了体验性因素（逃避体验）、心理情感因素（好奇心）和质量条件（服务效率和安全感）对PEV和消费者行为意图的影响, 并观察到性别和文化上的差异。

Citation

Kenebayeva, A., Cavusoglu, M., Hasan, R., Tazhina, G. and Abdunurova, A. (2024), "A comparative study on perceived experiential value and behavioral intentions in robot-enhanced restaurants: examining cultural and gender differences", Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTT-03-2024-0154