Automating motivation: A workplace analysis of service technicians and the motivational impact of automated assistance

Abstract

Like every industrial sector, the service sector will likely experience a digital transformation. The blending of technology with the service sector will have an enormous effect on business processes and the service staff. Despite expected changes and the relevance of well-performing service staff, research on the effects of smart service devices on the worker motivation and service excellence is missing. This paper outlines research-in-progress whose aim is to outline the consequences on worker motivation caused by an increase of assistance through smart service devices. Our starting point is the analysis of the current workplace of maintenance technicians. Further work will test causal relationships between automated assistance and motivation as a function of work design.