Assessing the nexus of Generative AI adoption, ethical considerations and organizational performance

Abstract

Numerous enterprises employ Generative AI (GenAI) for a plethora of business operations, which can enhance organizational effectiveness. The adoption might be driven by multiple factors influencing the business landscape. Additionally, numerous ethical considerations could impact the deployment of GenAI. This unique study investigated how organizations adopt GenAI and its effects on their performance. Further, this research utilized institutional theory and ethical guidelines for AI design to develop a research framework examining how organizations adopt GenAI and its impact on their performance. A survey of 384 managers from information technology (IT) and information technology-enabled services (ITeS) companies was conducted. Data analysis was done using PLS-SEM to examine and validate the proposed model. The study outcome reveals that institutional pressures, i.e., coercive, normative and mimetic forces, influence the use of GenAI in organizations. It was also found that fairness, accountability, transparency, accuracy and autonomy influence the use of GenAI. Also, the results divulge that the use of GenAI influences organizational performance and is moderated by organizational innovativeness. This study provides insights to developers of GenAI, senior management of companies, the government and IT policymakers by highlighting the institutional pressures and ethical principles influencing the use of GenAI.