Co-creation with service robots and employee wellbeing: a self-determination perspective

Service robots have been widely utilised in service encounters to deliver human services. However, it is unclear whether co-creation with service robots increases or decreases employee wellbeing. Based on self-determination theory, this study aims to investigate the direct and indirect effects of co-creation with service robots on employee wellbeing. An online survey was used to collect data from 332 employees working in the hospitality and tourism industry in China who had co-created with service robots at work. The results indicate that co-creation with service robots has an important autonomy-enhancing effect on employees. Furthermore, the relationship between co-creation with service robots and employee wellbeing through the need for competence and the need for relatedness is also mediated by the need for autonomy. This study extends self-determination theory to the domain of service robots by showing that employees' basic psychological needs play an important role in shaping their wellbeing in the context of co-creation with service robots at work.