Service robots and job crafting: the mechanism of anthropomorphism in the hospitality industry

As service robots increasingly support frontline functions in hospitality, understanding how employees psychologically adapt to robot collaborations is crucial. This study investigates how perceived support from service robots influences job crafting, focusing on the mediating role of anthropomorphism and the moderating effects of technological self-efficacy and industry context. This study surveys 200 frontline employees across service sectors in South Korea. The results show that when employees perceive robots as socially supportive, they are more likely to engage in job crafting, especially if they possess high technological self-efficacy and work in hospitality settings. These findings highlight anthropomorphism as a key mechanism for positive employee adaptation to robotic coworkers. Theoretically, this study extends social cognitive theory within organizational behavior research to technologically mediated environments. Practically, it suggests that robot design, employee training, and industry-specific deployment strategies must be aligned to promote effective human–robot collaboration in service contexts.