Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Cass Shum is a prominent hospitality and organizational behavior researcher whose work sits at the compelling intersection of emerging technology, employee psychology, and leadership. Specializing in the human dimensions of service robot adoption in the hospitality industry, Shum has made significant contributions to understanding how frontline employees perceive, fear, and respond to the growing presence of robotic technology in hotel and service environments. Shum's most influential work, "Robots can't take my job" (2022, 118 citations), draws on the Social Amplification of Risk Framework to examine how transformational leadership shapes employees' awareness of service robot-related job threats — a timely and critical inquiry as automation accelerates across the hospitality sector. Building on this foundation, Shum's research into the "uncanny valley" phenomenon (2024, 54 citations) reveals how robots' human-likeness can trigger genuine fear among employees, even driving industry turnover — a finding with far-reaching implications for robot design and workforce management. Further work exploring robot abuse and emotional responses (2024) adds nuance to our understanding of human-robot workplace dynamics. Collectively, Shum's scholarship offers hospitality managers and policymakers essential guidance on navigating technological transformation while protecting employee well-being and organizational stability.