Reflection or Dependence: How AI Awareness Affects Employees' In-Role and Extra-Role Performance?

Area of Science:

• Organizational Behavior
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Artificial Intelligence Ethics

Background:

• Organizations increasingly integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into work processes.
• Limited research exists on how AI awareness impacts employee cognition and performance.
• Self-construal theory provides a framework for understanding individual responses to AI.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of AI awareness on employee in-role and extra-role performance.
• To examine the mediating roles of perceived overqualification, AI usage reflection, and AI dependence.
• To explore the moderating effect of employee-AI collaboration.

Main Methods:

• A multi-time-point survey was administered to 353 employees.
• Statistical analysis was employed to test the proposed relationships.
• Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data.

Main Results:

• AI awareness significantly impacts perceived overqualification.
• Perceived overqualification mediates the relationship between AI awareness and performance outcomes (in-role and extra-role).
• Employee-AI collaboration moderates the link between AI awareness and perceived overqualification.

Conclusions:

• AI awareness is a critical factor influencing employee performance through psychological and behavioral pathways.
• Understanding the mediating and moderating factors is essential for optimizing AI adoption in the workplace.
• Practical strategies can be developed to enhance positive AI awareness effects and mitigate negative consequences.