Hybrid Human-Robot Teams in the Frontline: Automated Social Presence and the Role of Corrective Interrogation

Purpose Customer perceptions towards hybrid human-robot teams remains largely unexplored. We focus on the impact of FLR’s automated social presence (ASP) on customers’ perceived teamwork quality, and ultimately FLE’s competence and warmth. We explore the role of interrogation as a relevant contingency. We complement the customer view with insights into the FLEs’ viewpoint. Methodology We manipulate FLR’s ASP cues (speech and identity) in a hybrid team in four B2C video-based experiments and collect data from online participants. We combine these with one B2B field survey which collected data from FLEs working in hybrid teams. Findings When FLR’s ASP increases, customers more positively evaluate teamwork quality, ultimately affecting FLEs’ competence and warmth. FLEs who correct (interrogate) robotic mistakes strengthen the positive effect of FLRs’ ASP on teamwork quality. When FLRs correct FLEs, ASP’s effect on teamwork quality is also strengthened, while FLEs are not “punished” for erring. In contrast, FLEs themselves do perceive corrections as detrimental to teamwork quality. We term this the hybrid team evaluation paradox. Practical implications We recommend that firms deploy hybrid teams equipped with high-ASP FLRs (name and speech suffice). FLEs should be trained, and FLRs programmed, to appropriately use interrogation. Managers should pay attention to the paradox, given the conflicting perceptions towards interrogative behaviours. Originality/value We advance the hybrid teams literature by drawing on ASP, social cognition and collective mindfulness theories and behaviours that ameliorate customer perceptions. Our results support using FLRs to enhance FLEs’ capabilities