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This chapter examines the significant transformations brought about by the incorporation of service robots in the ever-changing retail industry. In the retail industry, advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), co-bots, robotics, and automation, are transforming the experiences of customers and employees in response to the surge in human–robot collaboration (HRC) and worldwide investments in innovative projects. The primary goal of the research is to examine the impact of incorporating service robots on employees’ willingness to work in a retail sector that fosters collaboration between humans and robots while improving the performance. The research highlights the key factors influencing employee perspectives and inclinations for collaborating with service robots in retail environments, as determined by an in-depth review of academic research and industrial insights. The results demonstrate the positive influence of service robots on improving HRC, optimising inventory management, and enhancing overall operational efficiency in the retail sector. The conclusion emphasises the need to adopt a holistic approach to successfully use the potential of service robots, with the aim of establishing a retail ecosystem that is both sustainable and harmonious. The presence of service robots in the retail industry has significant implications, offering a competitive advantage. The research results reveal stakeholders’ perspectives on the crucial role of service robots in driving future development and maintaining long-term benefits. This chapter offers a comprehensive review of innovative technology in the retail marketplace, offering significant insights into the transformative potential of service robots.

By drawing on previous research on mechanism-based explanations and business-to-business engagement, the purpose of this study is to identify and define mechanisms that enhance Internet of Things (IoT) engagement.

By positioning the study within the paradigm of critical realism (CR), this paper used multiple case study research. This paper applied 12 in-depth, semi-structured interviews, an observation and firm documents as data-gathering tools.

This paper argues that the higher-level phenomenon (Institutional logic of the IoT ecosystem) leads to a higher-level outcome (IoT engagement). As lower-level situational mechanisms, this paper found IoT readiness and transparency in the ecosystem. Action-formation mechanisms were acknowledged as communication, availability of an IoT interface, and support. Commitment, trust, satisfaction and software maintenance and updates were recognized as transformational mechanisms.

The findings will help managers to understand which mechanisms to focus on when forming engagement strategies for onboarding new actors and strengthening relationships with existing actors. Furthermore, this paper suggests considering the IoT readiness of new actors more critically, as this mechanism was found to be the most crucial one for an early stage of engagement in an IoT ecosystem.

This study helps understand the causal structures behind engagement and enhances the theoretical and practical domain of IoT engagement. In addition, this study demonstrates the value of applying CR for generating knowledge about a phenomenon through causal explanations.