Disclosing facial images to create a consumer’s profile

Abstract

Purpose Facial recognition systems represent a viable solution to today’s hotels’ security and service challenges. The purpose of this study was to build and empirically validate a conceptual model that examined consumers’ willingness to create a profile based on biometric information disclosed via facial recognition systems. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 421 US general population consumers who stayed in hotels. The study used a confirmatory factor analysis to test the measurement model and a structural equation modeling approach to empirically validate the structural model. Findings It was found that the benefit of information disclosure was the strongest predictor of value of disclosure and that value of disclosure and privacy concerns influenced consumers’ willingness to disclose biometric information. In turn, consumers’ willingness to disclose biometric information and their desire to be loyal to hotels influenced consumers’ willingness to create a profile. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first study to examine profile creation and biometric information disclosure via facial recognition systems in hotels, a technology that is likely to disrupt the current authentication and service quality models in hotels. This study also advances the literature by expanding the scope of the privacy calculus by adding social rewards, and by elucidating the role of desires in service contexts.