Participant Information and Consent
Research Study: Hotel Guests’ and Front-Line Hotel Service Team Members’ Experiences with AI-Enabled Technologies During Hotel Service Interactions.

You are invited to participate in a research study being conducted by Samuel Hargis as part of the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program at Johnson & Wales University.

The purpose of this study is to explore how hotel guests and front-line service team members perceive and experience AI-enabled technologies during hotel service interactions. Examples of AI-enabled technologies may include digital check-in and check-out, guest messaging platforms, chatbots, digital concierge services, smart room technologies, and other AI-enabled technologies.

The results of this study will be used as part of a doctoral dissertation at Johnson & Wales University and may also be presented in academic presentations, publications, or future scholarly discussions related to hospitality and artificial intelligence. De-identified information collected during this study may be used or shared for future research without additional consent.

Participation involves completing an online qualitative questionnaire consisting of open-ended questions about your experiences with AI-enabled technologies in a hotel environment. The online qualitative questionnaire is expected to take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete and will be administered electronically through SurveyMonkey. At the conclusion of the survey, participants may indicate whether they are willing to be contacted for a potential follow-up interview. Follow-up interviews will be conducted if additional clarification or context is needed regarding survey responses or emerging themes identified during the analysis process. Participation in a potential follow-up interview is voluntary and not required to complete the online qualitative questionnaire.

To participate, you must be at least 18 years of age and meet one of the following criteria:
  • Be a hotel guest who has interacted with AI-enabled technologies during a hotel stay within the past 12 months.
  • Be a front-line hotel service team member who currently interacts with AI-enabled technologies as part of your job responsibilities.
Risks and Benefits: There are no reasonably foreseeable major risks associated with participation in this study. Some participants may experience minor discomfort when describing hotel service experiences, workplace experiences, or opinions regarding AI-enabled technologies. Participants may skip any question they do not wish to answer and may discontinue participation at any time without penalty. The primary potential risk associated with participation is a loss of confidentiality. We will take measures to protect the confidentiality and security of research data.

Participants may not receive any direct benefit from participating in this study. However, the findings may contribute to a better understanding of how AI-enabled technologies influence guest experiences and front-line hotel service delivery. There will be no compensation for participation in this study.

Participation is completely voluntary. You may choose not to participate at any time without penalty. Questionnaire responses will be treated as confidential research data. Participants will not be asked to provide their name or contact information as part of the qualitative questionnaire. Participants who voluntarily indicate that they are willing to participate in a potential follow-up interview will provide their contact information separately from their questionnaire responses. The researcher will not link contact information to questionnaire responses during data analysis. The researcher will store electronic research data in password-protected electronic storage accessible only to the researcher. The researcher will present any information reported in the study in a manner designed to protect participants' identities.

If you have questions about this study, please contact:

Researcher:
Samuel Hargis
Doctor of Business Administration Candidate
Johnson & Wales University
SHargis02@wildcats.jwu.edu

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Julie Bilodeau
Dissertation Chair, Doctor of Business Administration Program
Johnson & Wales University
Julie.bilodeau@jwu.edu

If you have questions or concerns about your rights as a research participant, you may contact the Johnson & Wales University Institutional Review Board at institutionalreviewboard@jwu.edu or 401-598-1467.

Thank you for considering participation in this research study.

Question Title

Please indicate whether you voluntarily agree to participate in this research study. By selecting “I agree to participate” below, you confirm that you are at least 18 years of age, have read and understand the information provided above, have had the opportunity to ask questions about the study, and voluntarily consent to participate. (Required.)

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