Robot anthropomorphism at luxury hotels: a dual-congruity mechanism with luxury and task under anxiety

Abstract

Although service robots have been extensively studied recently, few empirical investigations have focused on the luxury setting. Targeting the setting of luxury hotels, in this study, expectation-confirmation theory and dual-congruity theory are combined to examine the impact of robot anthropomorphism on consumers’ expectations of service robots. The findings obtained from a sample of 556 respondents indicated that robot anthropomorphism increased consumers’ perceived social capability, performance expectancy, and perceived importance. Furthermore, luxury-technology fit and task-technology fit mediated the effects of social capability, performance expectancy, and perceived importance on the intention to use robotic services. Furthermore, the moderating role of anxiety toward robots in strengthening the effect of luxury-technology fit on the intention to use robotic services was revealed. The findings contribute to an enhanced understanding of consumer psychology in the context of advanced service technologies, offering valuable insights for the strategic implementation of service robots at luxury hotels.