Organizational Structure and Artificial Intelligence. Modeling the Intraorganizational Response to the AI Contingency

Different and profound are the consequences of the further development of artificial intelligence (AI) on society. One of the manifestations of the upcoming changes is the plethora of novel ways in which companies may organize labor and capital. So far, the influence of AI on organizational structur...

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Main Authors: Ihor Rudko, Aysan Bashirpour Bonab, Francesco Bellini
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-09-01
Series:Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/0718-1876/16/6/129
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author Ihor Rudko
Aysan Bashirpour Bonab
Francesco Bellini
author_facet Ihor Rudko
Aysan Bashirpour Bonab
Francesco Bellini
author_sort Ihor Rudko
collection DOAJ
description Different and profound are the consequences of the further development of artificial intelligence (AI) on society. One of the manifestations of the upcoming changes is the plethora of novel ways in which companies may organize labor and capital. So far, the influence of AI on organizational structure has been mainly studied from either a technological or a broader decision-making perspective. Our paper provides a unique take on the topic, emphasizing the distinctive role of human agency and its function in the upcoming AI-driven organizational changes. Relying on the existing academic literature, we theorized a set of hypotheses concerning best fits to the AI contingency on both macro and meso-organizational levels. To test whether the hypothesized changes might encounter organizational inertia or resistance from jobholders, multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) was applied to the online survey results. Four types of current and potential jobholders were distinguished according to their explicit attitudes towards hypothesized organizational changes: skeptics, doubtful skeptics, optimists, and doubtful optimists, the latter consisting primarily of emerging adults. Finally, we developed a model of intraorganizational response to the AI contingency based on four theoretical groups of individuals, as determined by the analysis. Our findings showed doubtful optimists to be the most important group, able to set organizational trends and positively influence skeptics and doubtful skeptics. Accordingly, promoters of AI-driven organizational changes are advised to design their communication efforts around emerging adults. As the survey was conducted amid the COVID-19 pandemic, its sociological and managerial implications are relevant to the looming reality of the postpandemic world.
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spelling doaj.art-8783cdff4cba4eb4807ccc499ee750632023-11-22T13:52:09ZengMDPI AGJournal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research0718-18762021-09-011662341236410.3390/jtaer16060129Organizational Structure and Artificial Intelligence. Modeling the Intraorganizational Response to the AI ContingencyIhor Rudko0Aysan Bashirpour Bonab1Francesco Bellini2Eurokleis srl, 00136 Roma, ItalyDepartment of Economics and Law, University of Cassino, 03043 Cassino, ItalyDepartment of Management, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Roma, ItalyDifferent and profound are the consequences of the further development of artificial intelligence (AI) on society. One of the manifestations of the upcoming changes is the plethora of novel ways in which companies may organize labor and capital. So far, the influence of AI on organizational structure has been mainly studied from either a technological or a broader decision-making perspective. Our paper provides a unique take on the topic, emphasizing the distinctive role of human agency and its function in the upcoming AI-driven organizational changes. Relying on the existing academic literature, we theorized a set of hypotheses concerning best fits to the AI contingency on both macro and meso-organizational levels. To test whether the hypothesized changes might encounter organizational inertia or resistance from jobholders, multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) was applied to the online survey results. Four types of current and potential jobholders were distinguished according to their explicit attitudes towards hypothesized organizational changes: skeptics, doubtful skeptics, optimists, and doubtful optimists, the latter consisting primarily of emerging adults. Finally, we developed a model of intraorganizational response to the AI contingency based on four theoretical groups of individuals, as determined by the analysis. Our findings showed doubtful optimists to be the most important group, able to set organizational trends and positively influence skeptics and doubtful skeptics. Accordingly, promoters of AI-driven organizational changes are advised to design their communication efforts around emerging adults. As the survey was conducted amid the COVID-19 pandemic, its sociological and managerial implications are relevant to the looming reality of the postpandemic world.https://www.mdpi.com/0718-1876/16/6/129artificial intelligencecontingency theoriesorganizational structureexplicit attitudescultural intermediariesorganizational change
spellingShingle Ihor Rudko
Aysan Bashirpour Bonab
Francesco Bellini
Organizational Structure and Artificial Intelligence. Modeling the Intraorganizational Response to the AI Contingency
Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research
artificial intelligence
contingency theories
organizational structure
explicit attitudes
cultural intermediaries
organizational change
title Organizational Structure and Artificial Intelligence. Modeling the Intraorganizational Response to the AI Contingency
title_full Organizational Structure and Artificial Intelligence. Modeling the Intraorganizational Response to the AI Contingency
title_fullStr Organizational Structure and Artificial Intelligence. Modeling the Intraorganizational Response to the AI Contingency
title_full_unstemmed Organizational Structure and Artificial Intelligence. Modeling the Intraorganizational Response to the AI Contingency
title_short Organizational Structure and Artificial Intelligence. Modeling the Intraorganizational Response to the AI Contingency
title_sort organizational structure and artificial intelligence modeling the intraorganizational response to the ai contingency
topic artificial intelligence
contingency theories
organizational structure
explicit attitudes
cultural intermediaries
organizational change
url https://www.mdpi.com/0718-1876/16/6/129
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AT francescobellini organizationalstructureandartificialintelligencemodelingtheintraorganizationalresponsetotheaicontingency