A conceptual model for the adoption of autonomous robots in supply chain and logistics industry

Abstract

The arrival of the era of robots and autonomous machines is undisputable. It is anticipated that the future business environment will be characterized by a variety of intelligent systems and autonomous robots. In 2017, the International Federation of Robotics reported that momentum gained by robotic technologies is strong and that the sales volumes of both service and industrial robots is expected to grow. Building on this projection, the present study proposes a set of prerequisites or key determinants for the adoption of autonomous robots in the supply chain and logistics industry: technological context (i.e., relative advantage, complexity, and cost), organizational context (i.e., management support, financial support and employee competence) and environmental context (i.e., competitive pressure, customer pressure and vendor support). The study adapts a quantitative research design and uses an online survey to collect the needed data to test the conceptual framework and hypotheses proposed. Part of the study results confirms the association between the cost of digital technologies and the adoption of autonomous robots. However, the study found no evidence that the perceived relative advantage positively impacts supply chain and logistics firms’ adoption of autonomous robots. The study offers some managerial advices to supply chain mangers and marketers of the digital technologies and tools that can be applied in the supply chain setting.