Creating a lean culture by integrating robotics in back-of-house operations: effectual trio or an immense disaster

<p dir="ltr">The Reason for the Research Study: This study explores the stress levels of chefs who work with collaborative robots (cobots) in commercial kitchens. While cobots are increasingly used to improve efficiency, chefs face significant stress from long hours, staff shortages, and challenging working conditions. There is limited research on the' impact of cobots on chefs' stress. This study is the first to examine the role of age, gender, job experience, and personality in the context of cobot collaboration. By analyzing quantitative and qualitative data, the study provides new insights into whether cobots reduce or increase stress and offers practical recommendations for managing stress in high-pressure kitchen environments.</p><p dir="ltr">Investigation Approach: This study explores cobots as a potential stressor for chefs through the lens of the Tri-Transactional Model of Stress, examining how socio-demographic and environmental factors and individual perceptions influence stress levels. The research employs self-administered questionnaires, including the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) and the Big Five Inventory (BFI-44), both of which are commonly used in human-machine teaming (HMT) and stress studies. Additionally, structured interviews with open-ended questions are conducted with chefs and managers. Elements from the Transdisciplinary Stress Model and the Work-Related Stress Model were incorporated into the conceptual framework.</p><p dir="ltr">Findings: The findings reveal that chefs working with cobots reported higher stress levels than those without cobots, while age, gender, and job experience had no significant influence on stress. Neither Extraversion nor Negative Emotionality showed a statistically significant correlation with stress levels. Additionally, interviews highlighted the crucial role of leadership, management practices, and training in mitigating stress, particularly during the integration of cobots. The study underscores the importance of leadership in addressing the varying perspectives on automation and its potential to reduce stress in high-pressure kitchen environments.</p><p dir="ltr">Conclusion: In conclusion, while cobots were linked to higher stress levels in chefs, age, gender, job experience, and personality traits had no significant impact. The study highlights the crucial role of leadership, management practices, and training in mitigating stress, particularly during the integration of collaborative robots (cobots).</p>