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Service robots in hospitals: new perspectives on niche evolution and technology affordances

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  • Tobias Mettler
  • Michaela Sprenger
  • Robert Winter

Abstract

Changing demands in society and the limited capabilities of health systems have paved the way for robots to move out of industrial contexts and enter more human-centered environments such as health care. We explore the shared beliefs and concerns of health workers on the introduction of autonomously operating service robots in hospitals or professional care facilities. By means of Q-methodology, a mixed research approach specifically designed for studying subjective thought patterns, we identify five potential end-user niches, each of which perceives different affordances and outcomes from using service robots in their working environment. Our findings allow for better understanding resistance and susceptibility of different users in a hospital and encourage managerial awareness of varying demands, needs, and surrounding conditions that a service robot must contend with. We also discuss general insights into presenting the Q-methodology results and how an affordance-based view could inform the adoption, appropriation, and adaptation of emerging technologies.

Suggested Citation

  • Tobias Mettler & Michaela Sprenger & Robert Winter, 2017. "Service robots in hospitals: new perspectives on niche evolution and technology affordances," European Journal of Information Systems, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(5), pages 451-468, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:tjisxx:v:26:y:2017:i:5:p:451-468
    DOI: 10.1057/s41303-017-0046-1
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    Cited by:

    1. Hazra, Ummaha & Priyo, Asad Karim Khan, 2020. "Mobile financial services in Bangladesh: Understanding the affordances," MPRA Paper 117852, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Saggi Nevo & Dorit Nevo & Alain Pinsonneault, 2021. "Personal Achievement Goals, Learning Strategies, and Perceived IT Affordances," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 32(4), pages 1298-1322, December.

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