Human-robot collaboration: trends, gaps, and impacts of service robots on frontline employees

Abstract

Abstract: This article synthesizes and integrates the existing literature on interactions between service robots and frontline employees by identifying the field's intellectual and conceptual structures, systematizing its main research topics, and outlining opportunities for future research. Following PRISMA guidelines, we analyzed 103 articles published in peer-reviewed journals between 1998 and 2024 using bibliometric techniques (including keyword co-occurrence analysis, bibliographic coupling, and thematic mapping) and qualitative content analysis. The findings show that the field has grown rapidly since 2019, and the thematic mapping highlights the centrality of human–robot interaction, employee well-being, and intention to use, as well as the emergence of themes related to anthropomorphism and collaboration. In addition, the literature is predominantly grounded in technology acceptance models and psychological theories, while also drawing on social and systemic approaches. Based on these findings, the study offers an integrated view of the field’s structure and proposes a future research agenda aimed at integrating behavioral, organizational, and technological domains.