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Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this study is to identify the factors that influence the development of service
robots, and to apply a service innovation strategic mindset to the hotel industry in Taiwan.
Design/methodology/approach – A mixed-methods approach, combining an expert panel and
semi-structured interviews using a SMART SWOT ranking survey, was applied to understand the
perspectives of hotel owners and robotics experts.
Findings – Fifty-three items were collected regarding the demand side of the hospitality market, showing
that the Taiwan hospitality industry has good potential to implement service robots. Sixty-one items on the
supply side of business were collected, showing that this robotics service can help hotels handle seasonal
employment and labor utilization. The SWOT analysis identifies “The fun and curiosity aroused in consumers
can enhance the promotion of service robots”, “Lack of talent in system integration”, “Taiwan’s aging society
can increase the demand for service robots” and “China and South-east countries have aggressively poached
talent in the global robotics market” as key issues.
Originality/value – Few studies have investigated robotics service for hotels using the six-dimensional
service innovation model. This model helps identify six factors and implies that this new service concept can
position hotels to better compete by using IT and relationship marketing strategies.
Keywords Hospitality, Innovative service, Service robots, SMART SWOT
Paper type Research paper
1. Introduction
1.1 Background and issue
The growth in tourism has led to a rapid expansion of the local hotel industry, which is
searching for innovative new sources of competitive advantage (Gomezelj, 2016). A
comprehensive business strategy to support competitive advantage is sustainably
formulated across a range of knowledge domains, including marketing, operation process,
supply chain, finance, human resource and information technology (Michel et al., 2008).
These domains may help in building a conceptual framework for the new innovative services
that can help hotels compete in the business market proposed by den Hertog et al. (2010). In International Journal of
Contemporary Hospitality
addition, few studies have investigated robotics service for hotels using the six-dimensional Management
Vol. 29 No. 5, 2017
service innovation model. Therefore, this study investigates how such an innovative service pp. 1305-1321
with robots can create sustainable competitive advantages for hotels by using den Hertog’s © Emerald Publishing Limited
0959-6119
six-dimensional service innovation model. DOI 10.1108/IJCHM-08-2015-0414
IJCHM The nature of hospitality work has created an unparalleled number of entry-level jobs
29,5 with part-time work arrangements for seasonal employment (Baum, 2006). This has
resulted in the delivery of service quality and attitudes that are affected by the emotions
of inexperienced or part-time untrained front-line employees (Lovelock et al., 2015;
Nickson et al., 2005). Wei (2013) further indicates that entry-level jobs, particularly
unskilled services tasks, will gradually be replaced by automation and robotics
1306 technology. This robotics technology solution can enable hotels supplement human
services by introducing new employee-based technology interfaces in the self-service
delivery process (den Hertog et al., 2010). This proposed robotics solution is therefore
expected to help hotels cope with the issue of seasonal employment, which reflects the
strategic human resource in the service innovation model. Other dimensional factors are
also expected to contribute and help hotels cope with the management and marketing
issues that have existed in the hospitality industry for decades (den Hertog et al., 2010;
Gryszkiewicz et al., 2013; Lusch et al., 2008).
The paper begins by describing innovative services with robots in the hospitality
industry and the evolution of hospitality service robots. It then describes the mixed-methods
approach used in this study, which involves an expert panel and semi-structured interviews
with a qualitative method and a ranking survey with a quantitative method. The results are
analyzed using the SMART SWOT ranking technique. Findings and conclusions are then
presented and analyzed.
2. Literature review
2.1 An innovative service with robots in the hospitality industry
An innovative service approach using IT capabilities continuously strives for better
solutions to sustain a competitive advantage for the hospitality industry (Bhatt and Grover,
2005; den Hertog et al., 2010). This approach can help hotels compete by evaluating den
Hertog’s six-dimensional capabilities, including new service concept, new customer
interaction, new business partners, new revenue model and new organizational or
technological service delivery system (den Hertog et al., 2010). The model begins by
signaling user needs and technological options (den Hertog et al., 2010). The self-service
provision via technology of service robots implies that this promising technology may
enhance the quality of service marketing and management by providing new ways of
interacting with existing and potential customers (Kim et al., 2013; Nieves and Diaz-Meneses,
2016; Kokkinou and Cranage, 2015). This dimension generates a sense of market
opportunities with new technologies that can actively enable hotels to adapt to the changing
environment and differentiate themselves from competitors (Kim, 2016; Teece, 2007).
The next dimension is the new service concept. It identifies the new service or value that
hotels intend to create for their target customers in the given self-service technologies (Frei,
2008). This dimension explains the dynamic capabilities of the hotels based on the strategic
plan the hotels will execute in relation to a new value proposition process for their customers Hospitality
(Teece, 2007). New customer interactions address the value creation for customers in the robots
given interaction process of service encounters (Chathoth et al., 2016; Payne et al., 2008). The
introduction of self-service technology robots relies on value creation: customers must be
satisfied through benefits such as curiosity and feeling of enjoyment (Kim et al., 2013). This
dimension explains that customers are value creators in the self-service delivery process and
that new technology combined with new services can create a strategic marketing plan 1307
differentially (Kim, 2016; Vargo and Lusch, 2004).
New business partners present a set of new value chain systems in which a new
innovative service is developed by a network of business partners who are in a vertical
integration of resources that support or ally together for the value creation ( Jacobides et al.,
2006; Teece, 2007). This dimension explains that the success of the robotics solution depends
not only on support from upstream manufacturing but also on the downstream customers
who participate in the self-service technology process. A new revenue model is an important
dimension addressing the concept of return on investment and the key objective of branding
strategy (Johnson et al., 2008; Krishnan and Hartline, 2001). This dimension explains that the
assessment of cost and profit modes and new innovative services with new technology must
be financially calculated before the implementation.
Last, a new organizational delivery system is the new structure of the business that
fits into the new form of daily operations with required skills (Ambrosini et al., 2009).
This dimension explains the human resource development and the learning process that
supports new innovative services with new technology solutions. This model is
therefore expected to help hotels compete in the business market, as a competitive
business strategy is developed based on the evaluation of the six-dimensional factors,
which is the purpose of this study.
3. Method
3.1 The expert panel
As this study explores innovative services for hotels, and there is little literature about
the use of service robots, an expert panel was used to identify factors that may affect the
development of robots in hotels. Three robotics professors from universities of
technology were invited to scan the market opportunities using robotics technologies.
The panel began with the question “what is the standpoint from which we should explore
implementing service robots?”. We developed a consensus on the strategic purposes and
developing capabilities, based on the market perspective of demand and supply side, for
the new robotics services. The research question is “What would be the most important
concerns if you were considering introducing service robots in hotels?”. To gather more
insights, the panel further invited three robotics experts and two hotel owners from the
practitioners, for a total of eight experts. We developed a second consensus on the six
factors that affected the development of service robots, based on den Hertog’s
six-dimensional conceptual service innovation model.
This panel discussion was conducted in the months of May and June in 2013, as shown in
Table I. The six factors (results of the expert panel discussion) are listed and detailed as
follows:
Demand side of the hospitality market: What would be the most important concerns if you
were considering introducing service robots in hotels?
Academics
A Robotics expert Professor 05-06/2013
B Robotics expert Professor 05-06/2013
C Hotel mgt. dept. Associate prof. 05-06/2013
Practitioners
a Technology institute Robotics expert 05-06/2013
Table I. b Technology institute Robotics expert 05-06/2013
Robotics expert panel c Technology institute Robotics expert 05-06/2013
with academics and d Hotel Hotel owner 05-06/2013
practitioners e Hotel Hotel owner 05-06/2013
(1) Government support: This refers to the Taiwan Government’s strategic support for Hospitality
the robotics industry. robots
(2) Capability for market development: This refers to the market demand for service
robots. If robotic products are not popular in Taiwan, why is this so? What areas of
the robotics industry would be the most profitable in Taiwan?
(3) Future development of the robotics industry: This refers to the robotics development,
operation and maintenance. Would manufacturers develop and possess their own 1309
patents and proprietary solution?
Supply side of the business: What would be the most important concerns if you were
considering introducing service robots in hotels?
(4) Capability for technology development: This refers to the commercialization, system
integration capability and supply chain of robotics production.
(5) Capability for raising money: This refers to the need for manufacturers to raise
investment capital. Would manufacturers face difficulties in raising money because
the robotics industry is still in an undeveloped stage?
(6) Capability for talent development: This refers to the robotic talent development of
manufacturers and what, if any, educational training of staff would be required?
Academics
A Hotel mgt. dept. Associate prof. 06-08/2013
B Hotel mgt. dept. Associate prof. 06-08/2013
C Hotel mgt. dept. Assistant prof. 06-08/2013
D F & B mgt. dept. Assistant prof. 06-08/2013
E F & B mgt. dept. Lecture 06-08/2013
F Robotic experts Professor 06-08/2013
G Robotics expert Professor 06-08/2013
H Robotics expert Professor 06-08/2013
I Robotics expert Professor 06-08/2013
J Robotics expert Associate prof. 06-08/2013
Practitioners
a F/O division Manager 06-07/2013
b F/O division Manager 06-07/2013
c F & B division Manager 06-07/2013
d F/O division Manager 06-07/2013
e Hotel Hotel owner 06-07/2013
f Robotics expert Professor 06-07/2013
g Technology institutes Robotics expert 06-07/2013 Table II.
h Technology institutes Robotics expert 06-07/2013 Interview of 20
i System laboratories Robotics expert 06-07/2013 hospitality and
j System laboratories Robotics expert 06-07/2013 robotics experts
IJCHM collection and analysis based on the limited resources used for the study. The SMART
29,5 technique is a simple way to make comparisons and rank priorities (Edwards, 1971), which
can offset the disadvantages of the SWOT technique, the most popular technique in
developing strategic plans (Glaister and Falshaw, 1999).
Twenty robotics experts, different from the previously experts, were invited to
participate in this study. They included scholars, national industrial technology research
1310 institutes, national mechanical and system research laboratories, manufacturers and hotels
owners. The interview process began with the academic experts, followed by hotel
practitioners. The academic experts and hotel practitioners were then interviewed again and
again, which generated balanced, thoughtful insight for the content analysis. The interview
began by asking the academic expert to list the items in response to each of the strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) of the factors. Participants were also
requested to score the items they listed on a 1-10 scale, where “1” represented “least
important” and “10” represented “most important”. The responses for all participants were
summed and these totals were used to rank the items of the factors. These results are shown
in the following section and are the basis for this study’s recommendations for innovative
services using robots in the hotel industry in Taiwan.
Although challenges in system integration and control issues confront hotels, customers can
perceive the value of fun and enjoyment when they interact with stand-alone service robots
(Haidegger et al., 2013; Zalama et al., 2014). These findings support hotels with marketing
campaigns that can strategically focus on creation of connections that increase opportunities
to be involved with potential customers rather than the services they actually offer. That is,
customer relationships develop when customers are involved and participating in the value
creation process (DiPietro and Wang, 2010; Gronroos and Ravald, 2011; Scherer et al., 2015).
For the factor of capability of technology development, 19 items were collected for the
SWOT table (see Appendix 1). The top item from the strength dimension is “Colleges of
technology and private organizations have a good reputation in research and development
IJCHM Strength Rank Weakness Rank
29,5
1. Small-to-medium-sized companies are 1 2. Service robots are not easily operated, 1
gradually coming to understand the importance as robot systems are difficult to integrate
of the smart robotic industry and interface design is industrialized
5. The fun and curiosity aroused in consumers 1 1. The demand for service robots is not 2
can enhance the promotion of service robots strong enough
1312 2. The prosperity of the IT industry increases 3 3. The cost and prices of service robots 3
the demand in the domestic market cannot meet the expectations of
consumers
3. Passion and expectations about service robots 4 4. Market demands for service robots 4
still exists cannot be boosted due to a lack of
training and promotion
4. Labor costs can be reduced 4 5. The market is a niche market and this 5
influences the intentions of investors
Opportunities Rank Threat Rank
1. Taiwan’s aging society can increase the 1 1. Korea is more aggressive than China 1
demand for service robots in developing service robots
2. The aging population and low birthrates can 1 2. Service robot design does not match 2
decrease the workforce and increase job the needs of consumers, which makes
opportunities in the service robot industry them unwilling to use service robots
3. Robotic cleaners have satisfied the 3 4. Manufacturers in China are employing 3
expectations of most people a low-price strategy to gain more market
share
4. The development of service robots is 4 3. There is no good application of service 4
Table IV. increased by the presence of individuals who robots, so people do not understand the
Capability for market combine the skills of interface design, benefits. This creates a big gap between
development fashionable design and system integrations expectation and reality
for ICT and in the semiconductor industry”. The top item from the weakness dimension is
“Collaboration between academia and industry needs to be strengthened”. The top item from
the opportunity dimension is “Funding from the government is helpful for upgrading the
capability of research and development for service robots”. Finally, the top item from the
threat dimension is “Competitors from America, Japan, and European countries have higher
levels of robotics technology than Taiwan”.
These results indicate that Taiwan has the capability to manufacture service robots for
domestic use and that all links in the technology supply chain can support the customized
design of service robots at a reasonable price. This creates advantages for Taiwan, as
customers are frustrated with poor design technologies that are difficult to use or understand
(DiPietro and Wang, 2010; Kim et al., 2013). It is important that the provision of user-friendly
design can lower the level of customer efforts and technology anxiety (Kim et al., 2013). This
capability is the result of Taiwan’s highly developed IT industry and the financial viability
of service robots that are increasingly becoming acceptable in the service sectors. Hotels can
thus enjoy fashionably designed service robots which are likely to be attractive to technology
fans and to families with children (Haidegger et al., 2013; Kwak and Park, 2012).
For the factor capability of raising money, 20 items were collected for the SWOT table (see
Appendix 2). The two top items from the strength dimension have the same score: “The
robotics industry is an attractive and potentially prosperous one which can drive demand in
the domestic market” and “Plenty of government funding can support medium-sized to large
companies with a variety of research projects which alleviate the expense burden of research
and development”. The top item from the weakness dimension is “Funding cannot be easily
Strengths Rank Weaknesses Rank
Hospitality
robots
1. More and more manufacturers are capable 1 1. Lack of investment from industry 1
of collaborating with the precision
instruments industry and the supply chain
of ICT which is helpful for developing smart
robots
2. Manufacturers in Taiwan can 2 2. Lack of talent in system integration 1 1313
competently produce components for robots
and they can collaborate to develop robots
with private organizations or government
4. Taiwan holds a global leading position in 3 3. Lack of professional training 3
some areas of the mechanical and electronic
industries
3. Taiwan has produced a lot of people who 4 4. An inability to produce key components 4
possess skills needed in the robotics of robots as well as not having the
industry and they can work together to capacity to make fine and commercialized
develop robotic products robots
Opportunities Rank Threats Rank
1. The demand for robots in hospitality is 1 2. Market demand is not high enough and 1
gradually increasing manufacturers are not supportive,
resulting in low intentions of consumers to
adopt service robots
2. The development of industrial robots has 2 1. Competitors from other countries such 2
transformed into the development of service as Japan, America and Europe are
robots dominant in the robotics market
4. There is a possibility of fostering talents 3 4. Strong competition in the international 3
in fashionable design and mechanics component technology market creates low
product costs
5. Capability in the integration of software 3 3. Integration advantages of China exceed 4
and hardware can be enhanced and could those of Taiwan
possibly establish a platform for purchasing
small numbers of products Table V.
3. Component manufacturers have a chance 5 Future development of
to increase their technological capability the robotics industry
raised because current robot development is not significant and this lowers the investment
intentions of companies”. The top item from the opportunity dimension is “The most recent
two years of smart robot projects conducted by Hon Hai Corporation have reinforced the
development of the robotics industry”. Finally, the two top items from the threat dimension
have the same score: “Investment intention is not strong enough as the scale of the Taiwan
market is quite small” and “Small-to-medium sized companies do not have sufficient capital
for robot development and cannot cover the costs of business operations”.
These results indicate that service robots used in the hotel industry are expected soon
because this is a prosperous new revenue model that attracts global investors, resulting in
cost reductions in development (Bilgihan et al., 2011; Ip et al., 2011; Melian-Gonzalez and
Bulchand-Gidumal, 2016). An investment could thus be recouped in an acceptable period of
time, as the expenses of employment, personnel management and training costs have
increasingly threatened business profitability (Bilgihan et al., 2011; Melian-Gonzalez and
Bulchand-Gidumal, 2016). However, small-to-medium businesses might be concerned that a
high level of technology operation and maintenance resulting in high level of capital
IJCHM investment is unaffordable. It is expected that once the costs of business operations for
29,5 service robots become reasonable and acceptable, hotels will quickly adopt robots.
For the factor results of capability for talent development, 22 items were collected for the
SWOT table (see Appendix 3). The top item from the strength dimension is “The higher
education system in Taiwan has effectively promoted robot product development which
produces many experts in the mechanical and electrical engineering and information and
1314 communication technology fields”.
The top item from the weakness dimension is “Not enough job opportunities for using
robots, as the robotics industry in Taiwan is at a preliminary stage”. The top two items from
the opportunity dimension have the same score: “Practical competition in the robotics
industry in Taiwan has driven opportunities for industry collaboration (e.g. Hon Hai
Corporation) with academia, thereby fostering talent in the field of robot development” and
“The trend towards increased robotics and smart automation increases job opportunities in
the manufacturing of robots”. Finally, the top item from the threat dimension is “Competitors
such as Korea and China have gradually obtained talent in the field of robot development”.
These results indicate that hotels in Taiwan have great potential to offer innovative
services with robots because a range of robotic talent is available for technical support at
hotels, as technology failure is the main cause of customer dissatisfaction (Bitner et al., 2002).
While customers appreciate the fun and enjoyment of service robots, these perceived values
are suddenly lost when they fail (Kim et al., 2013). In addition, hotels will need to implement
a comprehensive program of talent management and development to protect the intellectual
property of developers and to avoid the problem of brain drain. This is because of the high
costs in training the engineers who develop, operate and maintain service robots and their
loss to other markets, particularly China, which has aggressively poached global robotic
talent.
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Corresponding author
Chin-Yao Tseng can be contacted at: chinyao@mail.ypu.edu.tw
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Appendix 1 Hospitality
robots
2. The robotics industry is an attractive and 1 3. Funding cannot be easily raised because 1
1320 potentially prosperous one which can drive current robot development is not significant
demand in the domestic market and this lowers the investment intentions of
companies
3. Plenty of government funding can support 1 2. Processes in robot development and 2
medium-sized to large companies with a production are complex and are associated
variety of research projects which alleviate the with high entry barriers and low returns on
expense burden of research and development investment
1. There is plenty of private funding for 3 1. The international robotics market is 3
investment in the robotics industry highly competitive and it is hard to make a
profit
4. Companies’ research and development 4 5. Owners in the hospitality industry have 4
capabilities can be increased by government no capability or plans for phasing in robots
funding support, bank loans with lower rates
of interest and collaboration with different
industries, schools, governments and private
organizations
5. Business operation taxes can be offset by 4 4. Small-to-medium-sized companies cannot 5
the regulation of investment benefits, which raise the necessary funding
save money for companies
Opportunities Rank Threats Rank
3. The recent two years of smart robot projects 1 1. Investment intention is not strong 1
conducted by Hon Hai corporation have enough, as the scale of the Taiwan market is
reinforced the development of the robotics quite small
industry
1. The implementation of service robots can 2 2. Small-to-medium-sized companies do not 1
gradually increase job opportunities for the have sufficient capital for robot
robotics industry development so they cannot cover the costs
of business operations
2. The use of robots is a global trend which 3 3. Robot technology in Taiwan is far behind 3
attracts the attention of both international and America, Japan and Korea, as there is no
domestic investors supportive policy from government
4. Service robots are a good idea; new business 3 4. Failure to create robots with a fashionable 4
operation models and new marketing tools can appearance with strong features makes it
sustain business operations in the long run, as difficult to compete with Japan, Korea,
they can easily raise the capital from venture America and European countries, whose
capital funds robot technology is about five years ahead
of Taiwan’s
5. Government has promoted service-oriented 3 5. Other countries such as China and Korea 5
Table AII. manufacturing and technological services, have government support for robotics and
Capability for raising which promote the development of smart automation, which speeds up their industry
money robots development
Appendix 3 Hospitality
robots
Strengths Rank Weaknesses Rank
1. The higher education system in Taiwan has 1 1. Not enough job opportunities for using 1
effectively promoted robot product robots, as the robotics industry in Taiwan
development which produces many experts in is at a preliminary stage 1321
the mechanical and electrical engineering and
information and communication technology
fields
2. The rewards of success in robot development 2 3. Robot development policy from 2
can be high and might be achieved by the government is unclear so it lacks funding
collaboration of industry, academia and and resources for collaboration and
research institutes, as Taiwan has established a development
good reputation in these fields
3. Taiwan has gradually gained the capability 2 4. There is a lack of interaction between 3
to manufacture high-quality robots industry and academia as well as a gap
between the required skills and the
available skills
4. The focus on product innovation and 4 6. The value of robots is not well 4
research in Taiwan can help in the application recognized by the industry
of service robots and the development of
patents
5. The development of industrial talent is 5 2. The hospitality industry is not aware of 4
flexible so sufficient resources can be directed the value that robots can provide
to the robotics industry
6. A market for service robots in the hospitality 6 5. Taiwan’s education policy is unclear 6
industry in Taiwan can be anticipated, as the
industry is prosperous
Opportunities Rank Threats Rank
1. Practical competition in the robotics industry 1 1. Competitors such as Korea and China 1
in Taiwan has driven opportunities for the have gradually obtained talent in the field
collaboration of industry (e.g. Hon Hai) with of robot development
academia, thereby fostering talent in the field of
robot development
2. The trend toward increased robotics and 1 4. The high cost of teaching materials for 2
smart automation increases job opportunities robotics classes makes it difficult to raise
for the manufacturing of robots enough money
3. The rise of robot manufacturing in Taiwan 3 2. China and Southeast Asian countries 3
requires people who are able to integrate have aggressively poached talent in the
systems with hardware and software to global robotics market
develop high-end smart robots
4. Educational institutions have gradually 3 5. The development of service robots in 4
focused on robotics education, as industrial and Taiwan is faced with competition from
academic collaboration has significantly Japan, Korea and China, all of whom have
transformed knowledge and the application of advanced technology
robots
5. Taiwan’s government supports industrial 5 3. Small- to medium-sized companies have 5
and academic collaboration and internship no intention of investing in robotics
activities businesses because they have no power to
develop breakthrough technology due to Table AIII.
the current limitations of robot Capability for talent
development development