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Abstract This study delves into how Artificial Intelligence (AI) enhancement and substitution impact employees by affecting dimensions of psychological empowerment—self-determination, meaningness, competence, and impact—and subsequently influence their work engagement and deviant innovative behaviors. Employing the theory of psychological empowerment as its theoretical framework, the study not only reveals the dual effects of AI technology but also thoroughly analyzes how these technologies influence employees’ psychological status and thus alter their behavioral performances, thereby providing strategic guidance for organizations in balancing the application of technology with the psychological status of employees during AI strategy implementation.
In constructing the theoretical framework, the study clearly differentiates between AI augmentation and AI automation and their specific impacts on employee psychological empowerment. AI augmentation refers to the use of AI technology to assist humans in improving work efficiency and decision-making quality, supporting employees in performing more complex tasks through tools and systems, whereas AI automation refers to AI technology replacing humans in performing specific tasks, potentially diminishing employees’ participation and autonomy in their work.
To rigorously test the theoretical model and hypotheses, the study designed a multi-time point survey covering multiple industries and job positions, collecting data from 505 participants. Following data collection, the study validated the reliability and validity of the survey scales used, showing good reliability and validity for its employed scales. Subsequently, Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression analysis was conducted using SPSS 26.0 software in conjunction with the PROCESS 3.3 macro, performing 5,000 bias-corrected bootstrap samples to ensure the accuracy and robustness of the results.
Empirical analysis shows that AI automation significantly reduces employee job involvement by diminishing their sense of self-determination and meaning, thereby positively promoting bootlegging behavior. Conversely, AI augmentation significantly increases work engagement by enhancing employees’ competence and impact, thus negatively affecting bootlegging behavior. These findings reveal the complex impacts of AI technology in organizational applications and highlight the necessity of considering employee psychological empowerment and work engagement during the implementation of technology. Moreover, the study segmented the survey samples into employees in technical and non-technical positions, retesting the chain mediation effect in both subsamples, which supported the research hypotheses and enhanced the robustness of the results.
The theoretical contribution of this paper lies in its application and expansion of psychological empowerment theory within the context of organizational AI applications, offering a new perspective on understanding the impact of technology. Additionally, the research findings provide valuable insights for management practices, particularly in how AI technology can support employee development and stimulate innovative behaviors. The comprehensive analysis not only deepens our understanding of the impacts of AI technology but also provides significant implications and directions for future research and practice.
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Published: 31 March 2025
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