Friend or Foe? An empirical study on the mechanisms triggering robot abuse

Abstract

The widespread integration of service robots in industries such as hospitality, IT, and manufacturing has introduced new challenges, particularly customer abuse of robots. This study empirically investigates robot abuse mechanisms within catering industry, focusing on how service failures contribute to abusive behaviors. Our findings reveal that robot service failures mediated by customer anger, indicating that dissatisfaction with robot performance directly drives negative behaviors. The study further explores the moderating effects of anthropomorphism and moral identification. Our findings highlight the nuanced impact of emotional and ethical factors on customer interactions with robots, offering practical insights for service management and advancing the academic understanding of human-robot dynamics.