Utilitarian vs. hedonic roles of service robots and customer stereotypes: A person-environment fit theory perspective

Purpose – Drawing on person-environment fit theory, this study investigates how the relationships between service task types (i.e., utilitarian and hedonic service tasks) and perceived authenticity (i.e., service and brand authenticity) differ under different conditions of service providers (human employee vs. service robot). This study further examines whether customers’ stereotypes toward service robots (competence vs. warmth) moderate the relationship between service types and perceived authenticity. Design/methodology/approach – Using a 2 x 2 between-subjects experimental design, Study 1 examines a casual restaurant, while Study 2 assesses a theme park restaurant. Analysis of covariance and PROCESS are used to analyze the data. Findings – Both studies reveal that human service providers in hedonic services positively affect service and brand authenticity more than robotic employees. Additionally, the robot competence stereotype moderates the relationship between hedonic services, service, and brand authenticity, while the robot warmth stereotype moderates the relationship between hedonic services and brand authenticity in Study 2. Practical implications – Restaurant managers need to understand which functions and types of service outlets are best suited for service robots in different service contexts. Robot-environment fit should be considered when developers design and managers select robots for their restaurants. Originality/value – This study blazes a new theoretical trail of service robot research to systematically propose customer experiences with different service types by drawing upon person-environment fit theory and examining the moderating role of customers’ stereotypes toward service robots.