Working with Robots
For many retailers, service robots are the new frontier in automation. Rather than being hidden away behind the scenes in assembly lines, warehouses and fulfillment centres, these service robots are on the frontline, directly interacting with customers and staff. Examples of these service robots include AI assistants such as Alexa or Siri, although this study focuses on human-presenting physical robots such as SoftBank’s Pepper or Hanson Robotics’ Sophia.
While the potential benefits from this automation are great (efficiency, new service opportunities and better implementation of customer data insights), it is also increasingly clear that AI and robotic technology might be perceived as threatening and competitive for employees (who are increasingly seeing frontline jobs replaced by automation). Polling on this issue reveals a complex relationship between employees and robots, with humans often feeling uncomfortable around robots while still trusting them to do their job competently. One key question left unanswered by this past research, however, is how open employees are to collaborating with service robots. This is vital, as a willingness for employees to engage with and aid robots in their tasks will be necessary to integrating them into the retail sector.
In answering this question, this study investigates the appraisal process of human employee-robot interactions, to determine how human employees evaluate the benefits and risks of working with a robot. Understanding this process is critical to understanding what leads an employee to willingly and meaningfully engage with this new technology.
Methodology
This study collected qualitative data from 36 interview participants, recruited from a variety of professions including logistics, electrical engineering, human resources, tourism and sales. Ages ranged from 24-61 years, with 21 females and 15 males. Participants were selected who had experienced working with service robots and were employed in a service capacity. Interviews lasted between 40 – 90 minutes and followed a semi-structured interview guideline that focused on four main topics: general knowledge and experiences with service robots; the
influence of these robots on their working environment; attitudes towards and willingness to collaborate with robot colleagues; and the participant’s feelings towards future developments in human-robot collaboration. This interview data was then analysed to identify common themes that emerged, to identify what influences an employee’s willingness to collaborate with service robots.
Key findings
- Robots are characterised by their autonomy; they are brought into the workplace specifically because they are capable of preforming tasks independently of humans.
- However, this capacity for autonomy challenges human colleagues, who strive to control the technology and maintain their superiority, limiting their desire to collaborate with service robots.
- Human employees evaluate the benefits and risks of collaborating with a service robot, considering the added efficiency and ability to delegate against the threat of job replacement, data security and increased feelings of isolation from human co-workers.
- The result of this evaluation informs a primary appraisal of the service robot, perceiving the robot as a positive tool to increase their workplace efficiency, or as a potentially harmful threat to their position.
- However, the employee’s eventual willingness to collaboration with the service robot is also informed by the human employee’s feeling of control vs the perceived autonomy of the robot. When the employee feels the robot is making its own autonomous decisions, and they are unable to override or influence the actions of the robot, they are very unwilling to collaborate regardless of their primary appraisal of the utility of the robot.
Recommendations
Service robots may provide many opportunities for retail: reducing costs, decreasing errors and lower staffing levels. However, integrating robots into the retail sector will require collaboration from employees. Managers need to carefully select service robots that actively aid existing employees, rather than just replace them, if they want collaboration from their human workers. They should also set clear rules and roles for this collaboration process, helping human co-workers retain perceptions of control and superiority over the service robots.
Feeling in control is vital to integrating robots into the workplace, and so developing technological readiness through workplace education and development, as well as integrating robots gradually, will also aid in the adoption of this technology. In particular, the integration of “simpler” service robots as a first step in automation will allows employees to experience the benefits of robots, without immediately perceiving them as a risk factor for psychological or financial reasons.
Managers should also be mindful of the personas of the key decision makers within their organisations, identifying if these employees will be supportive or actively oppose collaboration with service robots. Robots should not be considered a replacement for talented human employees, as this would negatively influence service quality and reputation, while provoking opposition from human workers. Rather, this study recommends that service robots should be seen as an opportunity to improve service process, making the work of human employees easier and more productive.
Researcher
More information
The research article is also available on eprints.