Table 2

Overview of empirical research

Author(s)/YearSSR/MSRHRCRTTrustSpeciContextFindings
Ismail et al. (2012) Y    Supervisor–subordinate dyads; Survey (n = 200)The authors identify antecedents and consequences of relationship conflict in supervisor–subordinate dyads
Kim et al. (2016) Y    Leader-member exchanges; Survey:
14 restaurants with customer-contact employees (n = 426) and their customers (n = 1,212)
Based on LMX Theory, the authors find positive spillover effects of the dyadic relationship between supervisors and subordinates on marketing outcomes
Stringer (2006) Y    Fire department; Survey (n = 57)Based on the LMX Theory, the author demonstrates that high quality supervisor–employee relationships are positively related to the level of employees’ job satisfaction
Schweitzer et al. (2019) Y    Voice-controlled smart assistants (VCSA); Qualitative (N = 39)Participants who regarded the voice-controlled smart assistants as masters considered themselves slaves who had to obey the device’s rules
Shanks et al. (2024) YY    The authors examine customer reactions to power dynamics in human–robot collaboration in healthcare. Their experiments reveal that customers react more negatively when robots take on leadership roles, preferring human-led teams with robots in supporting roles. This effect is attributed to increased anxiety, which can be alleviated by giving customers a sense of control over the robot
Huang et al. (2021)   Y  Hotels; low versus high anthropomorphic robot appearance; ExperimentRealistic threats significantly increase negative attitudes toward robots
Złotowski et al. (2017)   Y  Various tasks; Visuals of wide range of robots; ExperimentThe exposure to autonomous robots evoked stronger negative attitude towards robots in general and more opposition to robotics research than exposure to non-autonomous robots. Both realistic and identity threats mediated the increase in negative attitudes toward robots and opposition to robotics research, although realistic threats were often the stronger mediator of the two
Song et al. (2022)    Y Retailing; Robot Pepper; QCA)Human-robot trust is a prerequisite of consumers’ behavioral intention to visit a footwear store
Van Pinxteren et al. (2019)    Y Campus visitors; Robot Pepper; Survey (n = 114)Consumers’ trust in humanoid robots enhanced their emotional interaction and intention to use the robot
Fiestas et al. (2024)     YRetailing; Robot Sophia; ExperimentsThe level of speciesism moderates the relationship between HSR intellectual intelligence and perceived competence such that an effect is found for low but not for high HSR intelligence
Huo et al. (2023a)     YHealthcare; Medical AI; Survey (n = 266)Patients with higher speciesism tend to have lower acceptance of medical AI in an independent role but higher acceptance in an assistive role
Huo et al. (2023b)     YHealthcare; Medical AI; Survey (n = 266)Speciesism moderates the relationship between staff participation and AI anxiety, such that those with high-level speciesism were more sensitive to perceived intergroup threat when they participated in the AI development process than those with lower levels of speciesism
This StudyYYYYYRetailing; Robot Sophia; Experiments 

Note(s): SSR = supervisor-subordinate relationships; MSR = master-servant relationships; HRC = human–robot collaboration; RT = realistic threat; Speci = speciesism; QCA = qualitative comparative analysis

Source(s): Authors’ own work

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