Examining sustainable hospitality practices and employee turnover in Pakistan: The interplay of robotics awareness, mutual trust, and technical skills development in the age of artificial intelligence.

Integrating robots and artificial intelligence (AI) into workplaces is becoming increasingly prevalent across various sectors, including hospitality. This trend has raised concerns regarding employee anxiety and the potential for higher turnover intentions, particularly when AI technologies are perceived to undermine professional expertise. This study explores the relationship between awareness of robotics and AI and employee turnover intentions, framed within the Conservation of Resources Theory (COR). To address the challenges posed by AI in the workforce, hotel managers must prioritise organizational support in areas such as financial resources, policy development, career advancement, and employee adaptation. The hospitality industry is leveraging AI and robotics to enhance guest interactions and service delivery, yet this technological shift may inadvertently increase employees' intentions to leave their positions. Employing a cross-sectional design, we gathered data through a structured questionnaire utilizing a five-point Likert scale, targeting 435 employees from 5- and 7-star hotels in Lahore, Pakistan, including CEOs, managers, directors, supervisors, executives, and room service operators. Our findings reveal a significant positive relationship between awareness of robotics and AI and employee turnover intentions. Moreover, mutual trust (MT) emerged as a moderating factor positively affecting the association between robotics awareness and turnover intentions. While technical grooming (TG) and job insecurity (JI) were not previously discussed in the literature, our research indicates that they also play critical roles in this context, highlighting the complex interplay of factors influencing turnover intentions in the face of advancing technology.