Is it Meaningful to Work with A Robot? A Quantitative Exploration Using the Job Characteristics Model among Restaurant Employees

Abstract

Service robots in restaurants offer benefits; however, employee concerns about job displacement and resistance to new technology pose significant challenges. This research investigates the anticipated impact of robot integration on job characteristics in 220 restaurant employees, using the Job Characteristics Model to explore how these changes affect job meaningfulness and employee turnover intentions. By examining the influence of task significance, autonomy, and feedback on employee perceptions of meaningful work in a robotic environment, this study aims to identify key job characteristics impacting employee attitudes toward automation and contribute to supporting human workers in the era of automation.