Abstract:
Implementing artificial intelligence in the workplace is becoming imperative for
organisations to stay competitive. The event of AI introduction can serve as both a stressor
due to perceived job insecurity or a challenge when an employee perceives he possesses
sufficient resources to cope with the new technology. Employee appraisal of AI is related
to his knowledge of the technology, the perception of operational and cognitive
capabilities, and adverse outcomes of AI. The formed affective and cognitive appraisal
has an association with the employee intention to use organisational AI or leave the
company implementing it. The purpose of the study is to employ the model of employee
appraisal of AI and understand if moderation by perceived organisational support and
commitment to organisation exists.
216 respondents among skilled workers and different levels of management across South
African industries have been surveyed. SmartPLS 4.0 algorithm was used for structural
equation modelling. The study found the employee appraisal model to have good
explanatory and predictive power. In addition, perceived organisational support had a fullmoderation
effect on the relationship between the employee attitudes to AI and intention
to leave the organisation implementing AI, via mediation of employee normative
commitment to organisation. The model also holds true for employees whose companies
are in different stages of AI implementation, with the least embeddedness exhibited by
those experiencing the uncertainty of the initial stages of AI implementation. The study
findings allowed an insight into the factors of AI appraisal by employees and contain some
recommendations for managers to prepare for the shift to AI-augmented workplace
