Emerging Technologies in the Service Industry: AI Applications in Hospitality Management

Presenter

Ann Liang

Campus

UMass Amherst

Sponsor

Muzzo Uysal, Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, UMass Amherst

Schedule

Session 1, 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM [Schedule by Time][Poster Grid for Time/Location]

Location

Poster Board C2, Poster Showcase Room (163), Row 1 (C1-C10) [Poster Location Map]

Abstract

              Labor is a major driving force in any economy, especially in the United States, where 55% of the workforce is made up of hourly workers. However, over the past decades, the workforce has faced numerous challenges from the increasingly dynamic market environment and consumer standards. In particular, the labor shortage issue in the hospitality industry has been the most prominent based on the considerable number of hourly workers employed and consumers involved. As more and more hourly workers, especially the younger generations, have been nurtured with a higher awareness of work-life balance and career advancement, it is crucial for the hospitality industry to value worker satisfaction and improves its utilization. In the meantime, with the rise of Industry 4.0, emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and autonomous robots, have raised a heated debate on their potential benefits and harms to society and are awaiting more empirical results for broader application. Therefore, this study aims to address the labor issue of an unstable workforce and augment trust in applying AI technologies to business functions. Through conducting research, a literature review, and a survey of the hourly workers’ population from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, this study will explore the alignment between the aspects of the workplace that require improvement and the potential AI applications for filling in those gaps.

Keywords

hourly workers, hospitality, satisfaction, artificial intelligence, perception

Research Area

Business & Economics

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