A service Robot Acceptance Model: User acceptance of humanoid robots during service encounters

This research examines human-robot acceptance during service encounters. Based on role theory and the technology acceptance model (TAM), we argue that users draw on various categories of expectations, which in turn, leads to a user's acceptance of frontline service robots (FSR). Results of a qualitative study with 63 participants reveal that users form their expectations toward FSR based on three categories: (1) their ideal imagination of a service, (2) their expectations toward a human frontline employee, and (3) their expectations toward a self-service technology. The theoretically developed Robot- Acceptance-Model (RAM) is tested in an experimental services setting with 82 users and service frontline robots.