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.

Herd immunity through vaccination has been a major technique for long-term COVID-19 infection management, with significant consequences for travel willingness and the recovery of the hospitality and tourism industries. However, indications that vaccine-induced immunity declines over time imply the need for booster vaccines. This could minimize the perceived health hazards of travel while enhancing travel propensity. This study integrated the theory of basic human values, the norm activation model, and the theory of planned behavior to investigate the role of cognitive aspects of individuals’ booster vaccine intention on domestic and international travel intention. More importantly, the study examined the role of value in activating moral responsibility and individuals’ beliefs to take the booster vaccine before traveling. A total of 315 Korean samples were collected to test the proposed conceptual model using structural equation modeling. In general, the results supported the proposed hypotheses. Notably, the intention to take the booster vaccine has a substantial impact on the intention to travel internationally. Furthermore, the communal values accept benevolence have an influence on personal morals and beliefs about receiving booster vaccines before international traveling.

Product waste in grocery supply chains remains a major concern for multiple stakeholders, particularly retailers, due to the direct financial losses it generates and the potential risks it poses to customer health and safety. In this context, digital technologies—especially artificial intelligence (AI)—offer promising opportunities to improve retail performance and reduce waste. Accordingly, this study aims to investigate the factors influencing retailers’ intentions to adopt AI-based solutions for product waste reduction. To achieve this objective, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was extended by incorporating three additional constructs (i.e., perceived ethical responsibility, product waste reduction-related knowledge, and perceived economic utility of AI for product waste reduction). Data were collected from a purposive sample of 214 grocery retailers operating in major cities in northern Algeria. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to test the proposed research model and hypotheses. The results indicate that retailers’ behavioral intentions to use AI for product waste reduction are significantly influenced by perceived economic utility of AI, AI for product waste reduction-related knowledge, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use. In contrast, perceived ethical responsibility for product waste reduction did not exhibit a statistically significant effect, although its relationship with behavioral intention was positive. This study contributes to the growing literature on AI adoption for waste reduction in the retail sector, particularly within developing country contexts, and offers practical insights for policymakers and industry stakeholders seeking to promote the adoption of digital technologies for sustainable supply chain management.

The travel bubble program presented an appealing strategy for reopening international travel safely. However, a full vaccination regime is the foremost prerequisite of the program. Therefore, vaccination and the travel bubble are inextricably linked. This study investigated the roles of perceived vaccine efficacy, attitude towards the COVID-19 vaccine, and attitude toward the travel bubble on travel bubble intention. More importantly, the study also examined the mediating role of hope and fear among unvaccinated Korean adults between 20 and 29 years old. A total of 535 samples were collected to test the proposed conceptual model using structural equation modeling. In general, the results supported the proposed hypotheses. Notably, the intention to travel to a bubble destination was explained by 57% of the variance. Furthermore, hope mediated the relationship between vaccine attitude and travel bubble intention. Whereas fear mediated the relationship between perceived vaccine efficacy and intention. Hence, the findings suggest doubts around the vaccine efficacy and that a positive attitude towards the vaccine also install hope among the research samples.

Purpose: This study examines how alignment between self-service technology (SST) interface characteristics and service task demands shapes user evaluations in hospitality contexts. Drawing on Task-Technology Fit (TTF) and Social-Technology Fit (STF), it investigates how Functional SSTs (F-SSTs) and socially cued SSTs (SC-SSTs) interact with cognitively oriented tasks (CT) and socially oriented tasks (ST) to influence user outcomes. Design/methodology/approach: A 2 × 2 between-subjects experiment was conducted with 410 U.S. participants recruited via MTurk. Structural equation modeling tested fit-based mechanisms linking task-interface alignment to cognitive load, social presence, perceived ease of use (PEOU), reduced service dehumanization (RSD), and intention to use, including the moderating role of sensory appeal. Findings: F-SSTs enhance TTF and reduces cognitive load in CT, improving PEOU and intention to use. SC-SSTs strengthen STF and increase social presence in ST. However, social presence does not reduce RSD, and RSD does not directly influence intention. Sensory appeal amplifies fit-based effects. Practical implications: SST effectiveness depends on task-interface alignment. Low-level social cueing enhances interaction experience but does not shift broader impersonality judgments, while adoption is driven primarily by usability. Managers should align interface design with task objectives and targeted outcomes. Originality/value: The study demonstrates that SST evaluations are driven by task-interface fit rather than interface features alone. By distinguishing interaction-level experience from higher-order dehumanization judgments, it refines TTF and STF and clarifies the limits of socially cued interfaces in service contexts.