Chinese hoteliers’ acceptance of automated decision making
Jingjing Guan, Jing (Bill) Xu, Stanislav Ivanov · International Journal of Hospitality Management · 2026
This study examines hotel managers’ acceptance of automated decision making using an integrated framework that combines the Behavioural Reasoning Theory and Theory of Planned Behaviour. Data were collected in China through a survey conducted in March 2024 among managers from three nationwide mid-scale hotel groups, yielding 269 valid responses. The results indicate that: 1) hotel managers place greater emphasis on the perceived benefits and risks of AI use, rather than AI’s relative strengths and weaknesses compared to human decision making; 2) managers’ concerns about AI translate into lower perceptions of fairness and behavioural control, thereby reducing acceptance of automated decision making; 3) subjective norm plays no role in shaping managers’ acceptance of automated decision making; 4) respondents’ general value orientations toward AI form a critical foundation for their reasons for or against adopting AI in decision making. The study reveals the psychological mechanism underlying automated decision-making acceptance in hospitality and offers practical insights for promoting AI adoption in hotel management.