The Interaction Effect of Service Robot Affordances and Contexts on Customer Engagement Behaviors

Service robots are widely used in the tourism and hospitality industry to attract and engage customers. Despite previous research examining the impacts of service robots from a technological perspective, there is insufficient analysis of how robots’ affordances influence customers’ engagement behaviors. This research, grounded in technology affordance and psychological ownership theories, investigates the interaction effects of service robots’ affordances and contexts on customer engagement, through three scenario-based experimental studies. The results reveal (a) interaction effects of service robots’ (cognitive and physical) affordances and contexts on customers’ engagement behaviors, (b) a serial mediating mechanism involving customers’ cognition (warmth/competence) and psychological ownership, and (c) a positive moderating effect of robots’ anthropomorphic appearance in the effects. This study contributes to theories of service robot affordances, human-robot interaction, and customer engagement in digital contexts. Managers can enhance customer engagement by designing service robots with improved affordances, and strategically matching them with appropriate service contexts.