Understanding trust and rapport in hotel service encounters: extending the service robot acceptance model
Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology
ISSN: 1757-9880
Article publication date: 12 July 2024
Issue publication date: 5 December 2024
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on the Service Robot Acceptance Model (sRAM) proposed by Wirtz et al. (2018), this study aims to examine how functional and social-emotional antecedents affect relational elements and the critical functions that trust and rapport play in robot acceptance in hotel services. Additionally, this study incorporates customer characteristics into the modified sRAM.
Design/methodology/approach
Consistent partial least squares (PLSc) was used to test the proposed model utilizing data collected from 456 Chinese customers.
Findings
The results indicated that effort expectancy and performance expectancy positively affect hotel guests’ trust toward and rapport with service robots. However, the effect of social influence on trust and rapport is insignificant. Additionally, perceived humanness and perceived social interactivity positively influence rapport, and perceived social presence positively affects both trust and rapport. Furthermore, trust and rapport positively influence hotel guests’ acceptance of service robots. The results also revealed the moderating role of age.
Originality/value
This study contributes to service robot literature by providing insights into how functional and social-emotional factors affect relational factors and the key role of relational factors in robot acceptance based on the sRAM. This study also advances this body of knowledge by highlighting the moderating effect of age.
研究目的
基于Wirtz等人（2018）提出的服务机器人接受模型（sRAM）, 本研究旨在探讨功能性和社会-情感性前因如何影响关系元素, 以及信任和融洽在酒店服务中对机器人接受度的关键作用。此外, 本研究将顾客特征纳入修改后的 sRAM 中。
研究方法
采用一致性偏最小二乘法（PLSc）对来自456名中国顾客的数据进行分析，以验证所提出的模型。
研究发现
结果表明, 努力期望和绩效期望积极影响酒店客人对服务机器人的信任和融洽。然而, 社会影响对信任和融洽的影响不显著。此外, 感知人性化和感知社会互动积极影响融洽, 感知社会临场感积极影响信任和融洽。此外, 信任和融洽积极影响酒店客人对服务机器人的接受度。结果还揭示了年龄的调节作用。
研究创新
本研究通过提供关于功能性和社会-情感性因素如何影响关系因素以及关系因素在机器人接受度中的关键作用的见解, 为服务机器人文献做出了贡献。本研究还通过强调年龄的调节效应, 推进了这一知识体系的发展。
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This manuscript has not been published or presented elsewhere in part or in entirety and is not under consideration by another journal. All study participants provided informed consent. We have read and understood the journal’s policies, and we believe that neither the manuscript nor the study violates any of these. There are no conflicts of interest to declare.
This study was supported by the Key Grant of National Natural Science Foundation of China (72332010), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (72202146), the New Academic Researcher Program for Doctoral candidate of Capital University of Economics and Business (2024XSXR02), the Foundation for University Key Teacher by the Ministry of Education of Beijing in China (BPHR202203149), and the Research Foundation of Beijing International Studies University in China (KYZX23A020).
Citation
Song, X., Gu, H., Ling, X., Ye, W., Li, X. and Zhu, Z. (2024), "Understanding trust and rapport in hotel service encounters: extending the service robot acceptance model", Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, Vol. 15 No. 5, pp. 842-861. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTT-12-2023-0428
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2024, Emerald Publishing Limited