.png){kind=icon}
.png){kind=icon}
Return
Working with robots: how employee–robot relationships shape employee retention
.png){kind=icon}
PRE
AI
J
C
P
DOI：10.1108/ijchm-08-2025-1288.png)
.png){kind=icon}
Original request for help.png){kind=icon}
Share.png){kind=icon}
Save
Abstract
En 中文
<jats:sec>
<jats:title>Purpose</jats:title>
<jats:p>The adoption of service robots in the workforce is reshaping organisational behaviour and employee dynamics. This study aims to examine how different employee–robot relationships influence employee retention.</jats:p>
</jats:sec>
<jats:sec>
<jats:title>Design/methodology/approach</jats:title>
<jats:p>Operationalising employee–robot relationships into four types, the study used a scenario-based experiment with a sample of 347 service-industry employees. Various statistical techniques were used to test the proposed relationships.</jats:p>
</jats:sec>
<jats:sec>
<jats:title>Findings</jats:title>
<jats:p>Employee–robot relationships are associated with employee satisfaction and retention. Positive relationships enhance retention primarily through job satisfaction, while engagement plays a selective role. Engagement emerges in collaborative and complementary relationships. Collaborative relationships reduce job insecurity, whereas competitive relationships undermine retention by increasing job insecurity and lowering satisfaction and engagement. Multiple relationship perceptions can coexist, positive relationship breadth shows cumulative associations with favourable outcomes, while competitive perceptions remain an independent source of risk.</jats:p>
</jats:sec>
<jats:sec>
<jats:title>Practical implications</jats:title>
<jats:p>Organisations should design and foster positive employee–robot relationships, with a strong focus on enhancing job satisfaction. Managers can structure roles to encourage multiple forms of positive interaction, while minimising competitive dynamics. Human resource practitioners should also actively monitor employee–robot interactions for sustainable workforce outcomes.</jats:p>
</jats:sec>
<jats:sec>
<jats:title>Originality/value</jats:title>
<jats:p>This study introduces a relational perspective by conceptualising employee–robot relationships as a multidimensional construct linked to employee retention through psychological mechanisms. It moves beyond binary views by showing that relationship perceptions can coexist; positive breadth is cumulatively associated with favourable outcomes, while competitive perceptions remain an independent source of risk.</jats:p>
</jats:sec>
Journal
I
IF:
9
Papers:
40
Citations:
0
Organization
Cited Papers