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Dissertation
Human-Robot Interactions: A Study of Consumer Behavior in the Age of Robots
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
01/2020
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/111714
Abstract
Rapidly evolving technology is steadily altering the servicescape. As organizations are either substituting or replacing human frontline employees with automated service robots, customers will need to acclimate themselves to non-human social interactions. However, important questions regarding the overall effect of customers’ interactions with and perceptions of automated service robots on crucial outcomes (e.g., perceptions of service) remain unanswered. Across two essays, my dissertation shows that humanoid robot (versus human) frontline employees elicit lower levels of perceived warmth and higher levels of perceived creepiness amongst customers, ultimately resulting in more negative perceptions of service, as measured by service quality, service satisfaction, reduced tipping (gratuity), return intention, and willingness to spread negative word of mouth. In addition, these relationships manifest across multiple service environments, can be mitigated by manipulating the warmth of the frontline employee, and in many cases are only obtained in the absence (versus presence) of service failure. Finally, my dissertation shows that the perceived gender of the humanoid robot frontline employee influences perceptions of service, and that the congruity between the perceived gender of the humanoid robot frontline employee and the stereotypical gender of the service job plays a more prominent role in perceptions of service when the job is stereotypically masculine (versus feminine). The present research contributes to services and marketing literature and offers strategic guidelines for marketers.
Keywords: service robots, social cognition, creepiness, robot gender, service perceptions
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Details
- Title
- Human-Robot Interactions: A Study of Consumer Behavior in the Age of Robots
- Creators
- Pavan Munaganti
- Contributors
- Andrew W Perkins (Advisor)Babu John Mariadoss (Committee Member)Chadwick J Miller (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Carson College of Business
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 110
- Identifiers
- 99900581411601842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation