Factors Influencing Service Robot Adoption Intention: A Causal Perspective with Necessary Condition Analysis

The incorporation of service robots in the hospitality sector has become increasingly widespread. Prior literature shows that the minimum level of certain mandatory indicators has not yet been identified for the intention to use these robots. In this paper, a conceptualization and verification of a model that integrates functional, socio-emotional, and relational elements, service quality, and customer satisfaction into service robot acceptance is presented. Furthermore, this study extends the theoretical model by including the Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA) method, as well as the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) method, capturing the vital aspects motivating the intention to use. Data were gathered from 413 Chinese hotel customers who used service robots. The SEM analysis indicates that the key variables associated with customer satisfaction and usage intention are service quality, social presence, social interactivity, trust, and rapport-building. In the case of NCA, service quality and customer satisfaction are also critical threshold conditions for the intention to use. This research presents an acceptability model of service robots in which both sufficiency and necessity are achieved, making a significant addition to the existing hospitality technology adoption literature.