The impact of robotic integration on prospective hospitality employees: job anxiety, career intention and the moderating role of emotional intelligence

Purpose This research aims to examine how Generation Z prospective hospitality employees, specifically – current hospitality and tourism management students, perceive robotic integration in the workplace. It investigates how variations in robot appearance and task orientation influence their anticipated job anxiety and intention to work in hospitality, while exploring the moderating role of emotional intelligence (EI) in these relationships. Design/methodology/approach Grounded in cognitive appraisal theory, this study employed a sequential exploratory mixed-method approach. Qualitative interviews captured students’ attitudes and perceptions, followed by a scenario-based experiment to measure anticipated job anxiety, career intentions and the moderating role of EI. Findings The study reveals that robotic integration heightens students’ anticipated job anxiety but does not affect their intention to pursue a hospitality career. Notably, EI level moderates this relationship, with high-EI students showing reduced anxiety when a robot’s appearance aligns with its intended task. Research limitations/implications This study enriches human-robot interaction theory and hospitality workforce research by demonstrating how EI and robot-design features jointly shape prospective employees’ career perceptions. The findings provide valuable insights for hospitality education and talent management, addressing job-related challenges introduced by emerging technologies. Originality/value Our research offers a novel examination of how Generation Z prospective hospitality employees respond to service robot integration, highlighting the interactive effects of robot appearance, robot task, and individual EI level on anticipated job anxiety and career intention.