In research based on 2009–2020 data from 509 publicly listed US firms, lower and higher levels of adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) were associated with reduced job satisfaction, whereas moderate levels were linked to greater job satisfaction. The findings are published in the Journal of Management Studies .
Investigators also found that firms' exploration orientation—their tendency towards concepts such as risk taking, experimentation, flexibility, and innovation—significantly shaped this relationship. Employees in high-exploration–oriented companies tolerated higher levels of AI adoption while maintaining job satisfaction than employees in firms with low levels of exploration orientation. Data governance—having a dedicated approach to managing data quality and availability—also had an effect. Firms with pronounced data governance exhibited smaller changes in employee job satisfaction as AI adoption increased than those with weaker data governance.
The research offers a nuanced understanding of how AI adoption influences employees' job satisfaction.
"Our study contributes to the AI adoption literature by highlighting the previously neglected interplay of enrichment and impairment effects that drive job satisfaction at varying levels of adoption," the authors wrote. "Our study provides valuable guidance for managers overseeing AI adoption or considering its integration into their organizations."
URL upon publication: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joms.70004
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