Isabella Bonacci

This study examines the human-robot interaction in the hospitality industry by investigating hotel employees’ perceptions of collaborative robots (cobots) in hotel operations. While robotic technologies are often introduced to enhance service efficiency and customer satisfaction, their impact on internal work dynamics and human resource management remains underexplored. Through qualitative research involving interviews with hotel staff, this study investigates the social dimensions of working alongside cobots. The data analysis is based on the ARPACE model that explores the 6 dimensions of interaction between human employees and cobots: actor, partner, relationship, activities, context, and evaluation. The results obtained concern both opportunities, such as improved task allocation, reduced workload, and enhanced job satisfaction, and challenges, including communication barriers, job insecurity, and emotional disconnect. The findings offer practical insights into how hospitality organizations can foster smoother integration of cobots, emphasizing the importance of employee training, ethical considerations, and inclusive HR strategies to support the integration of robots and artificial intelligence in the workplace.

Purpose: Over the past few years, scholars have examined new ways of working from various perspectives, with a significant increase in studies during the pandemic period, when remote work – supported by digital technologies and platforms – became imperative for many companies to protect the health of both the local community and employees. It also served as a solution for businesses to maintain operations and continue delivering products and services to customers. In the post-pandemic period, the new working reality has evolved into a complex concept grounded in variables such as work flexibility, digitisation, innovation, sustainability, collaboration, social inclusion and the equitable treatment of all categories of employees. The purpose of this paper is to identify the elements that can impact employees’ satisfaction with the new normal in working arrangements, as well as to understand whether workers’ socio-demographic characteristics and the organisational context influence their level of satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach: The methodological approach is based on cluster analysis with random sampling. Initially, a tool for assessing workers’ satisfaction with the new way of working was developed based on a literature review, identifying eight key areas of influencing factors. This tool was subsequently updated and refined through focus groups, expert evaluation and a pre-test. Based on participants’ responses, satisfaction scores were analysed using a Likert scale in relation to various variables. According to the scores obtained, a cluster analysis was conducted to identify different segments of workers within the sample. Findings: The study’s findings reveal six distinct clusters of employees, each exhibiting different levels of satisfaction with new normal work arrangements. These clusters offer a detailed perspective on how various groups experience and perceive flexible work models, reflecting a spectrum of needs and preferences within the workforce. Key sources of dissatisfaction include inadequate digital tools and physical workspace options, as well as some difficulties in maintaining work–life balance. By addressing these specific issues through targeted interventions, organisations can significantly enhance overall satisfaction and engagement. These insights are particularly valuable for HR professionals seeking to optimise employee well-being and productivity in hybrid or remote work environments. Research limitations/implications: The research presents certain limitations, primarily due to its focus on a single country – Italy. This constraint may limit the generalisability of the findings to other national contexts. Future research could explore the impact of different contexts – such as national, regional and organisational factors – on employee satisfaction with new ways of working. In addition, it would be valuable to examine the significance of each identified factor affecting worker satisfaction, as well as to investigate variations in the importance of these factors among employees of different genders, ages and job positions. Such studies would provide deeper insights into how diverse demographic and geographic factors shape workers’ experiences and perceptions of remote and flexible work arrangements in the new normal. Practical implications: The findings of the study can be useful for HRM when implementing new ways of working to achieve maximum satisfaction and better performance of employees. Originality/value: At the time the research began, no tools validated in Italy for measuring workers’ satisfaction with the new normal work arrangements were available.

This research introduces a new concept of organizational climate, seen as a "mediator", namely a factor liable to produce positive effects on both individual performances and on work processes and relations, thereby creating a favorable relationship between work excellence and organizational innovation. Health systems have been called to promote sustainability, as actors who work for the health and well-being of their patients. Starting from these considerations, this work shows the main results of a longitudinal study conducted in the pediatric department of a large hospital in southern Italy, for a period of three years (May 2014–May 2017). The reference survey was very broad because in the first step of the research a general questionnaire was adopted which included various aspects. Subsequently, the analysis of the influence of the “climate” factor was carried out according to a 3-dimensional scheme: structural, interpersonal/relational and individual. The focus was therefore set—especially in the second survey—on those indicators responding to the objective of the research and that were consistent with the epistemological choice made. The main scope was to verify the conditions according to which the organizational climate can emerge as a novel factor capable of siding with and orienting innovative patient-centered policies of human resources management.