Organizational change process for healthcare organizations introducing mobile service robots

Abstract

Healthcare organizations seeking to integrate service robots face challenges not directly addressed by existing change management literature. These challenges include inconsistencies in robot capabilities, stakeholder expectations, and integration of robots into existing work routines. To address this gap, an extended organizational change process framework is proposed based on findings from a qualitative study, clarifying the role of robot providers to elucidate the actions they may take to implement mobile service robots successfully. Emphasis on collaboration between healthcare organizations and robot providers and the broader involvement of individuals who hold significant influence over the technology's operation in the workplace follows the required socio-technical approach for technology-driven change. This framework aids healthcare organizations in smoother robot implementation, aligning with user needs.