A study on the perception of hotel employees towards service robots in developing countries, a case of Vietnam
Ping-Tsan Ho, Yimin Li, Minh-Thu Ho, Hsuan-Tso KUO, Mai-Uyen Nguyen · Tourism and hospitality management · 2025
Purpose – This study aims to find out how knowledgeable Vietnamese hotel employees are about service robots. Design – An in-depth interviewing technique was used with 43 hotel employees who worked in the department of Front Office and Food & Beverage. Methodology/Design/Approach – Data analysis and interpretation techniques included both quantitative and qualitative approaches. This examination was carried out using a phenomenological approach. Thematic analysis was used to examine the data. Findings – Half of the participants had heard of “service robots” and could define them using their attributes and functions. Hotel staff discussed the potential advantages and disadvantages of applying service robots for the hotel, customers, and themselves. Lastly, the study demonstrates how ready Vietnamese hotel employees are to collaborate with service robots. Specifically, Gen Z personnel are more prepared than Gen Y personnel. Originality of the research – This research contributes novel insights into the evolving dynamics of the hospitality industry in Vietnam, particularly regarding the adoption of service robots. This topic has garnered limited attention in the context of developing countries.