Intelligent automation and hospitality employees’ health: risks and mitigation strategies

Purpose The increasing application of intelligent and automation technologies in the hospitality industry has brought unprecedented changes to organizational management. The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of job vulnerability to intelligent and automation technologies on health of hospitality practitioners. Design/methodology/approach Study 1 examines the nonlinear automation–health relationship using SHARE secondary data from Europe, while Study 2 tests dual psychological mechanisms (threat vs growth) via primary survey data from China, using regression and SEM. Findings There appears a non-linear relation (the left half of the U-shape) between the intelligent automation job substitution and hospitality employees’ health status. In other words, the intelligent automation job substitution has a negative effect on health but in a decreasing rate. Besides, both work autonomy and social community at work buffer the relationship between intelligent automation job substitution and health status. Social implications This study recommends organizational and policy interventions to mitigate health impacts from intelligent automation in hospitality, focusing on enhancing work autonomy, social support and health monitoring while promoting skill evolution and supportive labor frameworks. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is among the first attempts to investigate how intelligent automation technologies could affect occupational health of hospitality practitioners.