Determinants of self-service technology adoption and implementation in hotels : the case of China

Abstract

Few research models have examined organizational levels of self-service technology (SST) application. Based on prior research and focus-group discussions with 30 hotel practitioners, this study proposes a conceptual framework regarding the SST application process in hotels, which divides the process into three stages: adoption decision, implementation, and customer acceptance. The findings show that most hotels in China have taken wait-and-see attitudes toward innovative SSTs and that customers tend to remain unfamiliar with such devices. Results suggest that hotels should begin replacing traditional services with SSTs from non-face-to-face service encounters. The findings further indicate that the influencing factors at each stage vary somewhat, as task characteristics appear to influence the implementation stage but do not affect adoption decisions. Additionally, customers’ travel purposes and their unique needs impact their acceptance of SSTs. The findings provide novel insights to guide future research on technology adoption and offer constructive practical guidance for hoteliers. 很少有研究模型解释自助服务技术(SST)在组织层次的应用。本研究在先前研究的基础上，邀请了30位酒店从业人员进行焦点小组讨论，并据此提出了一个酒店SST应用流程的概念框架。酒店 SST 应用分为三个阶段: 采用决策、实施和客户接受。调查结果显示，中国大多数酒店对创新型SST持观望态度，顾客往往对此类设备仍不熟悉。研究结果表明，酒店应该从非面对面的服务接触开始用SST取代传统的服务。研究结果进一步表明，各阶段的影响因素有所不同，因为任务特征似乎影响实施阶段，但不影响采用决策。此外，顾客的旅游目的和独特的需求也会影响他们对SST的接受程度。这些发现为未来的技术应用研究提供了新的见解，并为酒店经营者提供了建设性的实践指导。