Artificial intelligence and robotics awareness among frontline employees in tourist hotels and its impact on service sabotage: the roles of job insecurity, organization-based self-esteem, and competitive psychological climate

Artificial intelligence (AI) technology is transforming and reshaping the tourism service landscape. Using data from 418 questionnaires, this study employs Mplus 8.0 to examine how frontline employees’ AI and robotics awareness (AIRA) in tourist hotels may be associated with service sabotage. The findings reveal that: (1) Frontline employees’ AIRA has a positive effect on service sabotage in tourist hotels; (2) Job insecurity serves as a mediating factor between frontline employees’ AIRA and service sabotage; (3) Organization-based self-esteem (OBSE) acts as a mediating factor between frontline employees’ AIRA and service sabotage; (4) Job insecurity and OBSE play a chained mediating role between frontline employees’ AIRA and service sabotage; (5) The competitive psychological climate moderates the relationship between frontline employees’ AIRA and service sabotage. These findings advance human resource and tourism management theories while providing actionable guidance for hoteliers to adapt to the AI and robotics revolution and to enhance frontline service quality.