A new PhD project at James Cook University is set to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping organisational change and what skills managers will need to be successful in this new environment.
PhD candidate Matthew Champion said AI is rapidly redefining managerial work by expanding how leaders think, offering deeper insights and influencing how resources are deployed.
"AI is changing the very foundations of organisational change. It promises major gains in productivity, adaptability and service quality.
"But it also brings risks, including eroding trust, widening capability gaps and raising ethical questions. Many organisations are adopting AI tools without fully understanding their limitations," Mr Champion said.
He said research has so far paid little attention to how AI is transforming the managing of change itself, a discipline grounded in social science and human-centred methods.
"My PhD has been co designed by JCU and SERO4, a Queensland based, women-centred social services organisation. It includes testing in Australia and Singapore, through JCU's Singapore Business School.
"We're examining how AI enabled cognition, where algorithms support or even replace parts of managerial analysis and decision making, is reshaping what's expected of leaders at all levels," he said.
The project will identify the skills managers need to guide AI supported decisions, maintain trust and navigate the disruption that accompanies new technologies.
"Our goal is to develop a scalable, evidence-based framework to help organisations make the most of AI," Mr Champion said.
He said that as AI becomes embedded in everyday managerial practice, both managers and academics will need to rethink long standing approaches.
"Understanding how AI reshapes human judgement, and how organisations can adapt, will be crucial to managing the next wave of transformation."
