Investigation into the barriers to adoption of industrial robots in an emerging economy

Purpose The proposed study explores and list the barriers to the adoption of industrial robots in an emerging economy such as India. By identifying these barriers, the research aims to determine what emerging markets can do to remove these barriers and improve the use of industrial robots in their production systems. Design/methodology/approach It is a combination of an extensive literature review, qualitative interviewing, and surveying the experts of the targeted emerging markets. The data under analysis is processed with the assistance of the Total Interpretive Structural Modeling (TISM) methodology that enables constructing a hierarchical model to indicate the interdependence and connection of different barriers. The model is also applicable for identifying the most critical barriers that must be overcome to facilitate the adoption of industrial robots. Findings The study has indicated different barriers that affect the introduction of industrial robots in the emerging markets and how each of these barriers individually depends on the others. According to the TISM approach, these barriers are interrelated in a way that other barriers are also the driving force of others. Research limitations/implications The implications of this study have significant impacts on policymakers, industry practitioners and scholars who practice in the emerging economies. Defining the main obstacles and interrelations helps ensure that recommendations are made for further discussion on the issue of implementing robots in emerging markets. Furthermore, the hierarchical model will apply to developing subsequent empirical research that will suggest measures that could be taken to reduce the described barriers. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first that implements the TISM methodology in studying the role of the barriers to the implementation of industrial robots in new markets. Therefore, within this new approach, the study creates a more realistic image and a more developed structure of myriads of barriers in comparison with the more traditional paradigms.