How employees of Korean franchise restaurants perceive older adult kiosk accessibility

This study examines how employees at franchise restaurants in South Korea perceive the accessibility of kiosks, which are increasingly replacing face-to-face service in the restaurant industry. While kiosks can enhance operational efficiency and reduce labor costs, they may also marginalize older adults, who often face barriers in digital environments. In a super-aged society like South Korea, ensuring equitable access to everyday services has become a critical social issue. To address this challenge, this study uses Social Representation Theory (SRT) to examine how employees in the industry interpret and respond to accessibility issues faced by older adult users. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 12 employees working in franchise restaurant operations. Through content and core-periphery analyses, this study identified two overarching perceptions: employees view improving older adult kiosk accessibility as a business opportunity and an organizational and social challenge. While participants recognized opportunities such as reduced labor costs and enhanced convenience for owners and customers, they also highlighted substantial difficulties in making kiosks more accessible for older adult users. These challenges include operational burdens and tensions between profitability and accessibility efforts. This study emphasizes that understanding corporate operators' shared perceptions is essential for addressing older adult kiosk accessibility. Doing so enables private-sector organizations to contribute to digital inclusion while aligning social value creation with business sustainability.