A Multidimensional Analysis of Robotic Deployment in Thai Hotels

Abstract

Several hotel businesses are interested in robotic deployment to improve customer service, enhance hotel productivity, and gain a competitive advantage. In this study, I deployed a robot in a real working environment to explore stakeholders’ perceptions and investigate factors involved in robotic deployment in Thai hotels. A qualitative research method, interpretative phenomenological analysis, was utilized. As there was no robotic deployment in Thai hotels, Peanut, a navigation service robot, was temporarily assigned to work in the hotels to allow key informants—hotel executives, human resource managers, reception managers, hotel staff, and hotel guests—to understand the phenomenon and experience robotic deployment. The findings revealed that stakeholders in Thai hotels accepted the robot; however, this acceptance was contingent on various robot, human, and organizational dimensions. Greater user acceptance can promote more widespread robotic deployment. This study has important implications for human–robot interactions in the hotel industry, especially in Thailand where this technology has not yet been applied.