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Exploring employees’ subjective experience of psychological empowerment after adopting Artificial Intelligence technology
Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2024
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| _version_ | 1867614095409152000 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Macnab-Holding, Cuan Selkirk |
| author2 | Adams, Samantha |
| author_browse | Adams, Samantha Macnab-Holding, Cuan Selkirk |
| author_facet | Adams, Samantha Macnab-Holding, Cuan Selkirk |
| author_sort | Macnab-Holding, Cuan Selkirk |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2024. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/130548 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:46:35.680Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publishDateRange | 2024 |
| publishDateSort | 2024 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/130548 Exploring employees’ subjective experience of psychological empowerment after adopting Artificial Intelligence technology Macnab-Holding, Cuan Selkirk Adams, Samantha Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Industrial Psychology. Employee empowerment -- Psychological aspects Artificial intelligence -- Psychological aspects Industry 4.0 -- Psychological aspects UCTD Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2024. ENGLISH SUMMARY: The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is characterised by an environment which is highly complex, dynamic, and uncertain, accompanied by an influx of technological advancements. As technology advancements influence employees’ work environment and to varying degrees the way they are required to work, it will be important to understand to what extent this influences feelings of psychological empowerment within the work role. Psychological empowerment is defined as intrinsic task motivation reflecting a sense of control in relation to one’s work and an active orientation to one’s work role that is manifested in four cognitions: meaning, self-determination, competence, and impact. It is positively associated with showing initiative, coping with uncertainty, and embracing risks. Therefore, given the 4IR environment it will be important to have employees who are psychologically empowered and thus display the associated behaviour. Even though psychological empowerment is a well-established construct, it is proposed that employees' perceptions towards feeling psychologically empowered in their work may change to some extent because of this new environment. Due to scant literature on psychological empowerment in the 4IR context, it is therefore important to better understand this construct within this context so that practitioners are equipped to make more informed decisions about the strategic integration of humans and technology in their work tasks. A qualitative exploration of experiences therefore was warranted to better understand how individuals make sense of their encounters with Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology. Accordingly, the aim is to establish a better understanding of the perceived psychological empowerment of employees who have recently adopted AI in their work. Employing a phenomenological research design, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted to understand the lived experiences of employees when engaging with AI technology. Purposive sampling was utilised to recruit a sample of 12 commerce and financial services sector professionals that had adopted AI technology in the last 6-36 months. The data was analysed using thematic analysis. The findings yielded four primary themes that were identified from the participants’ lived experiences, namely: (1) enhanced work experiences through AI integration, (2) impact of AI on emotional, cognitive, and motivation dynamics, (3) AI’s role in influencing self-efficacy and decision making, and (4) AI as a growth tool. The findings indicated both positive and negative consequences of AI’s role in participants’ perceptions of psychological empowerment. In sum, the findings support the advancement of the adoption of this technology which in certain contexts may be perceived as psychologically empowering. Additionally, this research can be the departure point for better understanding human-AI integration from a psychological perspective, which can contribute towards professionals strategically integrating humans and AI in the 4IR context. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Vierde Industriele Revolusie (4IR) word deur ‘n hoogs komplekse, dinamiese en onsekere omgewing gekenmerk, wat ook met ‘n toestroming van vooruitgang in tegnologie gepaard gaan. Soos vooruitgang in tegnologie die werksomgewing en, in wisselende mate, die wyse waarop werknemers verwag word om te funksioneer beinvloed, is dit belangrik om te verstaan tot watter mate hierdie faktore ‘n gesindheid vir sielkundige bemagtiging binne die werksrol beinvloed. Sielkundige bemagtiging word gedefinieer as intrinsieke taakmotivering wat ‘n sin van beheer met betrekking tot die individu se werk, sowel as ‘n aktiewe orientasie teenoor die werksrol van die individu weerspieel. Sielkundige bemagtiging manifesteer as vier bewusthede: Betekenis, selfbeskikking, kompetensie, en impak. Dit word ook positief verbind met die toon van inisiatief, die hantering van onsekerheid, en die aangryping van risiko's. Dit sal dus binne die 4IR omgewing belangrik wees om sielkundig bemagtige werknemers, wat ook die gedrag wat daarmee verbind word toon, in diens te he. Ten spyte van die feit dat sielkundige bemagtiging ‘n goed-gevestigde konstruk is, word dit voorgestel dat die begrip van die werknemer in terme van hoe hulle bemagtiging in hulle werksrol ervaar, tot ‘n mate as gevolg van die nuwe omgewing, mag verander. Weens ‘n beperkte beskikbaarheid van literatuur met betrekking tot sielkundige bemagtiging binne die konteks van 4IR, is dit raadsaam om hierdie konstruk binne die spesifieke konteks te verstaan, om sodoende praktisyns toe te rus om meer ingeligte besluite omtrent die strategiese integrasie van mense en tegnologie in hul werkstake te kan maak. ‘n Kwalitatiewe verkenning van ervarings is dus geregverdig om beter begrip te bekom van hoe individue hul ontmoetings met kunsmatige intelligensie (KI) tegnologie ervaar. Gevolglik was die doel van hierdie studie om ‘n beter begrip van die waargeneemde sielkundige bemagtiging van werknemers wat onlangs KI in hul werk aangeneem het, te vestig. ‘n Fenomenologiese navorsingsontwerp is toegepas, met semi-gestruktureerde, in-diepte onderhoude, om ‘n begrip van die ervaarde ondervindings van werknemers van KI tegnologie, te verkry. Doelgerigte steekproefneming is gebruik om ‘n steekproef van 12 professionele persone uit die handels- en finansiele sektor, wat in die afgelope 6 - 36 maande KI tegnologie aangeneem het, te werf. Die data is deur middel van tematiese analise geanaliseer. Die bevindinge het vier primere temas, wat deur die deelnemers se ervaarde ondervindings geidentifiseer is, opgelewer, naamlik: (1) versterkte werksondervindinge deur middel van KI integrasie, (2) impak van KI op emosionele, kognitiewe, en motiveringsdinamika, (3) die rol van KI in die beïnvloeding van selfdoeltreffendheid en besluitneming, en (4) KI as ‘n werktuig vir groei en ontwikkeling. Die bevindinge het aangedui dat daar beide positiewe en negatiewe nagevolge van die rol van KI in die begrip van die deelnemers se idee van sielkundige bemagtiging was. Kortom, ondersteun die bevindinge die bevordering van die aanneem van hierdie tegnologie, wat binne sekere kontekste as sielkundig bemagtigend waargeneem kan word. Aanvullend kan hierdie navorsing dien as ‘n vertrekpunt om ‘n beter begrip van mens-KI integrasie vanuit ‘n sielkundige oogpunt te verkry, wat kan bydra tot die strategiese integrasie van mense en KI deur professionele persone, binne die 4IR konteks. Masters 2024-03-04T16:58:56Z 2024-04-26T21:37:15Z 2024-03-04T16:58:56Z 2024-04-26T21:37:15Z 2023-12 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/130548 en_ZA Stellenbosch University xi, 119 pages ; includes annexures application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Employee empowerment -- Psychological aspects Artificial intelligence -- Psychological aspects Industry 4.0 -- Psychological aspects UCTD Macnab-Holding, Cuan Selkirk Exploring employees’ subjective experience of psychological empowerment after adopting Artificial Intelligence technology |
| title | Exploring employees’ subjective experience of psychological empowerment after adopting Artificial Intelligence technology |
| title_full | Exploring employees’ subjective experience of psychological empowerment after adopting Artificial Intelligence technology |
| title_fullStr | Exploring employees’ subjective experience of psychological empowerment after adopting Artificial Intelligence technology |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring employees’ subjective experience of psychological empowerment after adopting Artificial Intelligence technology |
| title_short | Exploring employees’ subjective experience of psychological empowerment after adopting Artificial Intelligence technology |
| title_sort | exploring employees subjective experience of psychological empowerment after adopting artificial intelligence technology |
| topic | Employee empowerment -- Psychological aspects Artificial intelligence -- Psychological aspects Industry 4.0 -- Psychological aspects UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/130548 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT macnabholdingcuanselkirk exploringemployeessubjectiveexperienceofpsychologicalempowermentafteradoptingartificialintelligencetechnology |