Frontline service robots in service innovation: Revisiting interaction quality, consumer value co-creation behaviors, and technology anxiety.

TÜBİTAK Projesi, 2219 - Yurt Dışı Doktora Sonrası Araştırma Burs Programı, 2025 - 2026

Service innovation involves developing and implementing new or improved services, processes,

or business models to better meet customer needs. Today’s technology offers “frontline service

robots” (FSRs) to companies. These FSRs might be considered an emerging part of the service

innovation concept. These autonomous or semi-autonomous FSRs assist in various tasks

across various industries, utilizing technologies like artificial intelligence and sensors to interact

with and serve customers. Exploring the role of these robots in “consumers’ value co-creation

behaviors” (CVCCB) in various service settings is important for service companies. Therefore,

this proposal firstly plans to examine what determines “interaction quality with a service robot”

(IQ-FSR). The first aim of this proposal is to explore the dimensionality of IQ-FSR variable and

develop a reliable and valid scale. Secondly, it aims to develop a research model to test the

effects of IQ-FSR and interaction quality with a service employee (IQ-FSE) on CVCCB in

hospitality services. Thirdly, it aims to test the moderating role of “consumers’ technology

anxiety” (CTA) on the relationship between IQ-FSR and CVCCB. This proposal has potential

theoretical and practical contributions since it will comprehensively explore the dimensionality of

IQ-FSR, integrate it with IQ-FSE to test their combined effects on CVCCB in hospitality

services, and examine CTA’s possible moderating role in this relationship.