Papers
11
Total Citations
662
H-Index
9
About
Alei Fan is a prominent hospitality and technology researcher whose work sits at the intersection of service robotics, anthropomorphism, and consumer behavior. Best known for her investigations into how humanlike features in self-service technologies and robots shape customer experiences, Fan has made substantial contributions to understanding when and why anthropomorphism helps or hinders service outcomes. Her 2019 study on technology anthropomorphism and service failure recovery (205 citations) demonstrated how individual consumer traits—specifically technology self-efficacy and interdependent self-construal—moderate reactions to humanoid service machines, offering practical design guidance for hospitality operators. Her earlier 2016 work (148 citations) further established the consequences of anthropomorphic design in failure contexts, influencing how firms approach customer-facing automation. Fan's more recent scholarship expands into food delivery robots, service coproduction with robotic partners, robot-human design congruity, and generational perceptions of robotic service, reflecting a sustained effort to map the evolving human-robot service landscape. Her research has also addressed pandemic-era concerns, exploring how health risk perceptions shape dining behavior. With over 650 cumulative citations and a consistent publication record into the 2020s, Fan has emerged as a leading voice shaping both academic theory and industry practice around intelligent service technologies.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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- 7Unveiling the role of congruity in service robot design and deployment23 citations · 2024
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- 9Climbing robots—off the shelf9 citations · 1994
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