Empathetic creativity as a ‘shield’: A dual-path study of the impact of artificial intelligence usage on employee work outcomes

IF 11 1区 管理学 Q1 BUSINESS
Yuchen Jiao , Yuling Huang , Tong Wen , Mengyan OuYang
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Abstract

Currently, artificial intelligence is being rapidly deployed in frontline services, collaborating with employees in an increasing number of tasks. While this brings many benefits, it is also encroaching on the “skill toolbox” of frontline employees, subjecting them to mounting technological pressure. As a result, identifying key skills that are compatible with intelligent machines and helping employees cope with the challenges posed by AI, has become a focal point in academic research. However, the specific skills and mechanisms through which employees can adapt to this transformation remain unclear. This study combines the transactional model of stress and complementarity theory to explore the role of empathetic creativity as a key skill in this process. Through a two-wave survey and a semi-structured interview, the study finds that when employees have high empathetic creativity, the use of AI enhances their positive affective work prospection, thereby increasing their work effort. However, when employees have low empathetic creativity, AI may induce negative affective work prospection, leading to time theft behavior at work. This study highlights the important role of empathetic creativity in helping service industry employees cope with the challenges of AI, providing valuable practical insights for companies in shaping competitive advantages and employee training.
同理心创造力作为“盾牌”:人工智能使用对员工工作成果影响的双路径研究
目前,人工智能正迅速部署在一线服务中,与员工合作完成越来越多的任务。虽然这带来了许多好处,但它也在蚕食一线员工的“技能工具箱”,使他们面临越来越大的技术压力。因此,确定与智能机器兼容的关键技能,并帮助员工应对人工智能带来的挑战,已成为学术研究的焦点。然而,员工能够适应这种转变的具体技能和机制仍然不清楚。本研究结合压力的交易模型和互补性理论,探讨共情创造力作为一项关键技能在这一过程中的作用。通过两波调查和半结构化访谈,研究发现,当员工具有高同理心创造力时,人工智能的使用增强了他们的积极情感工作前景,从而增加了他们的工作努力程度。然而,当员工的共情创造力较低时,人工智能可能会诱发消极的情感工作前景,从而导致工作中的时间盗窃行为。本研究强调了移情创造力在帮助服务行业员工应对人工智能挑战方面的重要作用,为企业在塑造竞争优势和员工培训方面提供了宝贵的实践见解。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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来源期刊
CiteScore
20.40
自引率
14.40%
发文量
340
审稿时长
20 days
期刊介绍: The Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services is a prominent publication that serves as a platform for international and interdisciplinary research and discussions in the constantly evolving fields of retailing and services studies. With a specific emphasis on consumer behavior and policy and managerial decisions, the journal aims to foster contributions from academics encompassing diverse disciplines. The primary areas covered by the journal are: Retailing and the sale of goods The provision of consumer services, including transportation, tourism, and leisure.
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