The emergence of social robots: Adding physicality and agency to technology

Abstract

This Perspective Paper discusses a special case of digitalization, namely social robots. Adding sociophysical and agentic properties to robots is likely to trigger new organizational and work dynamics. Despite high market expectations and increasing interest in robotics-related and broader interdisciplinary outlets, robotic technologies have attracted surprisingly little attention in the leading management outlets, thus leaving a gap in existing high-impact management literature. This paper tries to fill in some of this void by discussing the commercial relevance of robotics and by identifying three main roles that social robots fulfill in real-life organizations. These roles set the directions for future and rigorous studies. Practical and policy implications identify some concerns relevant for decision-makers who seek to shape and steer robotics development and implementation.