Prior cross-cultural research on customer complaint behavior has shown that Asian customers–collectivists (vs. Western customers–individualists) are less likely to engage in voice complaint but more inclined to choose nonconfrontational responses such as switching and negative word-of-mouth. Yet, we suggest that this relationship may not hold true when taking into account customer loyalty, price level, and power distance as cultural value. To that end, we conducted an experiment to examine the joint effects of culture, customer loyalty, and restaurant price level on customer complaint behaviors. Our results indicate that Asian customers might indeed be vocal public complainers when there is no deep commitment to a restaurant and when paying a high price for the service. Theoretical and practical implications are also discussed.

User-generated hotel ratings have been found to be an important element in customers’ decision making. Nevertheless, most hotel ratings online show average ratings that are extremely positive. Thus, the question is raised of whether online ratings reflect objective evaluation of the reviewers. This study examines the distribution of online ratings and compares it the distribution of offline ratings. Online hotel score ratings reported on Booking.com were extracted and compared with offline rating scores from a field survey. Online and offline hotel ratings of eight hotels located in Seoul were collected. The ratings were compared using Welch’s t-test. Overall, both online and offline ratings for all eight hotels show generally positive distribution curves. The distribution curves exhibit shapes analogous to those considered to contain self-selection bias. The randomized offline ratings did not produce more moderate ratings as predicted. Thus, no indication of non-response bias was found. Practically, this study supports the notion that hotels listed on online travel agencies such as Booking.com may already have passed certain quality criteria, thereby providing competitive marketplaces for customers searching for hotels online.

Silicon woodpile photonic crystals provide a base structure with which to build a three-dimensional dielectric waveguide system for high-gradient laser-driven acceleration. To realize an on-chip woodpile laser accelerator, a key component is the power coupler to deliver laser power to the fundamental accelerating mode. The woodpile waveguide is periodically loaded in the longitudinal direction; therefore simple cross-sectional mode profile matching is not sufficient to launch the accelerating mode appropriately and will result in significant scattering loss. Several traveling-wave coupler design schemes developed for multicell radio frequency cavity accelerators can be adapted to the woodpile accelerator coupler design. This paper presents design procedures and results using these methods. We present simulations indicating near 100% power transmission between the transverse electric mode of a silicon-guide side coupler and the transverse–magnetic-like accelerating mode of a woodpile waveguide. The coupler launches a full traveling-wave propagation of the accelerating mode, which maintains its propagation quality over long waveguide structures, and provides better tolerance on the structure fabrication uncertainty and material breakdown than standing-wave coupling.

This study explores the psychological and social impacts of the forced use of self-service technologies (SSTs) in South Korea’s hospitality and tourism sectors, focusing on perceptions of service dehumanization among different age groups. Grounded in symbolic interactionism theory, the research aims to uncover how reduced interpersonal interaction affects perceived service quality and emotional response. A quantitative approach was employed using data collected from 300 Korean adults (150 older adults and 150 young adults). The study utilized the PROCESS Macro to test mediation effects of reduced human contact, empathy, and authenticity, as well as the moderating role of employee presence in shaping dehumanization perceptions. The results indicate that the mandatory use of SSTs significantly diminishes the perceived social value of service encounters, thereby increasing feelings of dehumanization. This effect is mediated by a reduction in human contact, empathy, and authenticity. Moreover, the presence of employees moderates this relationship, particularly intensifying dehumanization perceptions among older adult participants. Gender was not a significant factor in these perceptions. These findings suggest that while SSTs may improve operational efficiency, their forced implementation can negatively impact customer experience, especially for older adults. Hospitality and tourism providers should consider hybrid service models that maintain optional human interaction to mitigate adverse psychological effects. This study contributes to the limited research on SSTs and service dehumanization by integrating symbolic interactionism theory and highlighting the moderating role of employee presence. It offers novel insights into age-related differences in SST acceptance and the socio-emotional costs of automation in service contexts.

This study investigates the impact of job demands and perceived burdensomeness on employees’ willingness to collaborate with service robots (SRs) in the workplace, with a focus on the moderating effects of organizational support, self-esteem, and self-development. Conducted among 200 employees in South Korea, the results show that higher job demands significantly increase perceived burdensomeness, which negatively affects employees’ willingness to collaborate with SRs. Organizational support moderates the negative impact of job demands, reducing their detrimental effects, although it was less effective in buffering the reduction in social interaction. Self-esteem and self-development positively moderated the relationship between burdensomeness and collaboration. This study contributes to the understanding of sustainable workforce management by highlighting the importance of fostering personal and organizational resources to ensure that SR integration enhances both operational efficiency and employee well-being. The findings align with broader sustainability goals by promoting human–robot collaboration that optimizes resource use, enhances workforce adaptability, and maintains social and psychological balance in the workplace.