Robots on Blockchain: Emergence of Robotic Service Organizations

Abstract

Radical changes in the technological environment have been forcing service providers to consider whether, if so, how to automate any aspects of their services with robots and other emerging technologies. Some service providers have been adopting robotic service assistants, and even creating organizations partially or fully automated by robots. However, some service providers have not been able to fully take advantage of RSAs’ benefits in a way that enhances customer service experiences. We review those challenges of RSAs and discuss the potential application of blockchain technology in governing a robotic service organization, the concept we propose in this study. Drawing on transaction cost theory and resource-based theory, we discuss theoretical implications of the impact of blockchain technology on the governance of a robotic service organization. Our study represents one of the first theoretical research to evaluate the impact of blockchain technology in a robotic service economy.