Employee Perception of Human-Robot Co-working: Evidence from the Hotel Sector in Russia, Egypt, and Italy

Aligned with the evolution of Industry 5.0, which advocates for human-machine collaboration, the hotel sector has embraced new technologies and methods of work organisation referred to as Hospitality 5.0. Several studies contend that the concept of humans collaborating with advanced technologies is nascent and warrants thorough exploration through empirical analyses to mitigate negative impacts, enhance benefits, and ensure adequate conditions for collaboration. This study aims to analyse hotel employees’ perceptions of cobots using a mixed-methods approach in order to explore their attitudes towards working alongside these collaborative robots. The attitudes of hotel employees were examined, focusing on some psychological and social aspects relevant to effective collaboration. Data was collected through employee questionnaires, the development of which was based on focus groups with experts. The research was conducted using a comparative analysis among respondents from Russia, Egypt, and Italy. It was discovered that social and psychological factors can significantly influence robot acceptance and human-robot interaction in the workplace. Some similarities and differences in the perceptions of respondents from different countries were identified. The findings of the study can provide important insights for developing strategies and policies at the organisational level for the integration of collaborative robots in the hotel environment, as well as offer significant suggestions for HRM specialists to adequately prepare human resources for the organisational transformation related to Work 5.0.