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Service robots in organisational frontlines—A retail managers’ perspective

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  • Meyer, Patrick
  • Roth, Angela
  • Gutknecht, Klaus

Abstract

Service robots (SR) have the potential to revitalise value creation in brick-and-mortar retailing. While both the competitive and evolving nature of the retailing industry as well as customers and FLE have obtained substantial coverage in academic literature, the managerial angle towards SR in organisational frontlines has rarely been addressed in service research. This qualitative exploratory interview study explores retail managers’ perceptions of SR in organisational frontlines. Building on 28 in-depth interviews with retail managers, three dimensions of predisposing factors (impact on the functional, relational and organisational level), as well as two aggregated dimensions of managerial coping strategies (transforming FLE and work routines) were identified. Further, the findings reveal that retail managers perceive inherent difficulties in balancing the needs of customers and FLE when it comes to effective SR implementation.

Suggested Citation

  • Meyer, Patrick & Roth, Angela & Gutknecht, Klaus, 2023. "Service robots in organisational frontlines—A retail managers’ perspective," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joreco:v:70:y:2023:i:c:s0969698922002661
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2022.103173
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Arnold, Todd J. & Palmatier, Robert W. & Grewal, Dhruv & Sharma, Arun, 2009. "Understanding Retail Managers’ Role in the Sales of Products and Services," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 85(2), pages 129-144.
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    4. Guha, Abhijit & Grewal, Dhruv & Kopalle, Praveen K. & Haenlein, Michael & Schneider, Matthew J. & Jung, Hyunseok & Moustafa, Rida & Hegde, Dinesh R. & Hawkins, Gary, 2021. "How artificial intelligence will affect the future of retailing," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 97(1), pages 28-41.
    5. Pantano, Eleonora & Priporas, Constantinos-Vasilios & Sorace, Stefano & Iazzolino, Gianpaolo, 2017. "Does innovation-orientation lead to retail industry growth? Empirical evidence from patent analysis," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 88-94.
    6. Willems, Kim & Smolders, Annelien & Brengman, Malaika & Luyten, Kris & Schöning, Johannes, 2017. "The path-to-purchase is paved with digital opportunities: An inventory of shopper-oriented retail technologies," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 228-242.
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    Cited by:

    1. Uijin Jung & Jinseo Lee & Ji-Young Choi & Hyun Yim & Myoung-Jin Lee, 2023. "Future Service Robot Scenarios in South Korea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(22), pages 1-19, November.
    2. Kang, David Yeonjun & Hur, Won-Moo & Shin, Yuhyung, 2023. "Smart technology and service employees’ job crafting: Relationship between STARA awareness, performance pressure, receiving and giving help, and job crafting," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).

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