ILLUSTRATING THE PERCEPTION OF STUDENTS TOWARDS AUTONOMOUS SERVICE ROBOTS IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY
Research purpose – The purpose of the study was to explore the students’ perceptions towards autonomous service robots, using interviews and, in a novel manner, also their drawings, to generate data. The paper contributes to current knowledge claims around the Techno-Economic Paradigm by providin...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Faculty of tourism and hospitality management
2021-07-01
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| Series: | Tourism and Hospitality Management |
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| Online Access: | https://thm.fthm.hr/images/issues/vol27no2/8_Wakelin_Theron |
| _version_ | 1819062924283478016 |
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| author | Nicola Wakelin-Theron |
| author_facet | Nicola Wakelin-Theron |
| author_sort | Nicola Wakelin-Theron |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Research purpose – The purpose of the study was to explore the students’ perceptions
towards autonomous service robots, using interviews and, in a novel manner, also their
drawings, to generate data. The paper contributes to current knowledge claims around the
Techno-Economic Paradigm by providing a greater understanding of, and student response to,
autonomous service robots. Additional insights were gained on transformational skills set
for tourism practitioners.
Design/Methodology/Approach – A qualitative approach followed a participatory research
design which was set in a public higher education institution. Undergraduate tourism and
hospitality students who had previous exposure and engagement with robots were the
purposive sample. The paper draws on the Techno-Economic Paradigm to illuminate how,
according to students’ experiences and perceptions, autonomous robots interact in, and
disrupt, the tourism industry.
Findings – Four main drawings essentially expressed tourism and hospitality students’
perceptions of autonomous service robots in the tourism industry. Centrally there are
opportunities for the absorption of robots in certain sectors of the tourism industry.
Despite greater use of robots in service-driven industries like tourism, it remains
challenging to establish the right balance between humans and robots, and up- and
re-skilling transformation would be required of those working in the tourism industry and
those studying towards a tourism qualification. This study advances that additional
research is still required, including longitudinal studies on the effects of autonomous
services in the tourism industry, as well as students’ perception on the use of robots,
re-skilling as well as ethical risks to customers, the greater value to the economy and
those working in the tourism industry.
Originality of the research – The article contributes to the use of visual methodology as
part of data generation, specifically how students’ perceptions regarding autonomous
robots in the tourism industry were graphically distilled using this methodology. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T15:06:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-497c6037399e48778fd3c03fa97bcae1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1330-7533 1847-3377 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T15:06:30Z |
| publishDate | 2021-07-01 |
| publisher | Faculty of tourism and hospitality management |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Tourism and Hospitality Management |
| spelling | doaj.art-497c6037399e48778fd3c03fa97bcae12022-12-21T18:59:24ZengFaculty of tourism and hospitality managementTourism and Hospitality Management1330-75331847-33772021-07-0127238540610.20867/thm.27.2.7ILLUSTRATING THE PERCEPTION OF STUDENTS TOWARDS AUTONOMOUS SERVICE ROBOTS IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY: AN EXPLORATORY STUDYNicola Wakelin-Theron0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2110-6421University of Johannesburg College of Business and Economics, School of Tourism and HospitalityResearch purpose – The purpose of the study was to explore the students’ perceptions towards autonomous service robots, using interviews and, in a novel manner, also their drawings, to generate data. The paper contributes to current knowledge claims around the Techno-Economic Paradigm by providing a greater understanding of, and student response to, autonomous service robots. Additional insights were gained on transformational skills set for tourism practitioners. Design/Methodology/Approach – A qualitative approach followed a participatory research design which was set in a public higher education institution. Undergraduate tourism and hospitality students who had previous exposure and engagement with robots were the purposive sample. The paper draws on the Techno-Economic Paradigm to illuminate how, according to students’ experiences and perceptions, autonomous robots interact in, and disrupt, the tourism industry. Findings – Four main drawings essentially expressed tourism and hospitality students’ perceptions of autonomous service robots in the tourism industry. Centrally there are opportunities for the absorption of robots in certain sectors of the tourism industry. Despite greater use of robots in service-driven industries like tourism, it remains challenging to establish the right balance between humans and robots, and up- and re-skilling transformation would be required of those working in the tourism industry and those studying towards a tourism qualification. This study advances that additional research is still required, including longitudinal studies on the effects of autonomous services in the tourism industry, as well as students’ perception on the use of robots, re-skilling as well as ethical risks to customers, the greater value to the economy and those working in the tourism industry. Originality of the research – The article contributes to the use of visual methodology as part of data generation, specifically how students’ perceptions regarding autonomous robots in the tourism industry were graphically distilled using this methodology.https://thm.fthm.hr/images/issues/vol27no2/8_Wakelin_Theronautonomous robotstourism industrydrawingsservice industryparticipatory visual methodology |
| spellingShingle | Nicola Wakelin-Theron ILLUSTRATING THE PERCEPTION OF STUDENTS TOWARDS AUTONOMOUS SERVICE ROBOTS IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY Tourism and Hospitality Management autonomous robots tourism industry drawings service industry participatory visual methodology |
| title | ILLUSTRATING THE PERCEPTION OF STUDENTS TOWARDS AUTONOMOUS SERVICE ROBOTS IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY |
| title_full | ILLUSTRATING THE PERCEPTION OF STUDENTS TOWARDS AUTONOMOUS SERVICE ROBOTS IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY |
| title_fullStr | ILLUSTRATING THE PERCEPTION OF STUDENTS TOWARDS AUTONOMOUS SERVICE ROBOTS IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY |
| title_full_unstemmed | ILLUSTRATING THE PERCEPTION OF STUDENTS TOWARDS AUTONOMOUS SERVICE ROBOTS IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY |
| title_short | ILLUSTRATING THE PERCEPTION OF STUDENTS TOWARDS AUTONOMOUS SERVICE ROBOTS IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY |
| title_sort | illustrating the perception of students towards autonomous service robots in the tourism industry an exploratory study |
| topic | autonomous robots tourism industry drawings service industry participatory visual methodology |
| url | https://thm.fthm.hr/images/issues/vol27no2/8_Wakelin_Theron |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT nicolawakelintheron illustratingtheperceptionofstudentstowardsautonomousservicerobotsinthetourismindustryanexploratorystudy |