The privacy paradox in interactions with service robots in the workplace
Martin Hannig, Ruth Stock, Merlind Knof · The International Journal of Human Resource Management · 2025
This article analyzes a possible privacy paradox in interactions between humans and service robots in the workplace. In two consecutive field experiments, we analyzed first the existence of a privacy paradox and second privacy concerns and information reluctance towards different service robots that offered advice on Human Resource Development topics. Drawing on the Computers-as-Social-Actors (CASA) paradigm and task-technology fit theory, we argue that employees’ privacy concerns and information reluctance towards service robots do not match, leading to a privacy paradox. Task complexity strengthens the privacy paradox in human-robot interactions. Behavioral measures show that this is underpinned by a longer interaction time with service robots for more complex tasks. Our research bridges the gap between Human Resource Management and service robot research and provides valuable managerial insights into employees’ privacy-related reactions to the use of humanoid and android robots in the workplace.