Technological Enthusiasm Without Social Sensitivity Can Backfire: Indian Retailers Resist Social Robots Due to Psychological Barriers

Strategic Insights -

A recent study by the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Indore has revealed that Indian retailers are hesitant to adopt social robots in their businesses due to psychological and ethical barriers, rather than technological or cost concerns. The study, titled "Exploring Barriers to Social Robot Adoption: A Mixed-Method Study in the Indian Retail Sector", was co-authored by Prof Prashant Salwan and published in the international journal Technological Forecasting and Social Change. The research found that loss of privacy and threats to human identity were the strongest factors reducing both managerial and employee willingness to use robots, with emotional discomfort playing a more significant role in resistance than fear of job loss due to automation.

Key Takeaways:

  • Loss of privacy and threats to human identity were the strongest factors reducing both managerial and employee willingness to use social robots in Indian retail.
  • Emotional discomfort, such as feeling constantly observed, recorded, or compared with machines, played a more significant role in resistance than fear of job loss due to automation.
  • Retailers are advised to adopt a "responsible innovation" approach that pairs technological progress with emotional intelligence and ethical safeguards.
  • Companies should build trust around data use, ensure transparency in robot--human interactions, and implement privacy protections to reduce anxiety among employees and customers.
  • Gradual, participatory adoption yields better results, with firms that involve employees early in the design and deployment of robotic systems facing lower resistance and smoother integration.
  • Small pilot projects, followed by iterative scaling, can help employees adapt to the shift in work culture.
  • Technological enthusiasm without social sensitivity can backfire, and balancing automation with empathy will determine whether social robots become allies or adversaries in service delivery.

Statistics:

  • The global social robot market is projected to touch USD 13.3 billion by 2027.
  • 201 Indian retailers participated in the study, and their responses were examined to identify barriers to social robot adoption.
  • The study used a Fuzzy Interpretive Structural Model (F-ISM) to analyze the responses and identify the strongest factors reducing adoption decisions.

Sources:

  • Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Indore
  • Technological Forecasting and Social Change journal
  • Contify.com, distributed by Indian National Press (Bombay) Pvt. Ltd.