The influence of artificial intelligence and organizational levels on meaning at work

  • Aimée Jacomijn Gebben (Student)

Student thesis: Master's Thesis

Abstract

As AI can change essential tasks, it can affect occupational boundaries and consequential team and organizational structures, thereby changing work's social relations, structures and meaning (Craig et al., 2019). Experiencing meaning at work has many positive effects in both work and life in general, and it is therefore, essential to optimize as much as possible. This research aims to find out whether AI does influence meaning at work, how it influences meaning at work and if this influence of AI differs over organizational levels. The results of this research indicate that AI negatively influences meaning at work significantly. Although AI negatively influences all components (positive meaning, meaning-making and greater good motivations) of meaning at work, the influence differentiates over those components, where positive meaning is influenced the most and greater good motivations the least. Other than that, it is found that AI's influence differs over organizational levels, where the strategic (higher) organizational level was significantly affected more than operational (lower) level. These findings imply that AI influences certain aspects of work more than others. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.
Date of Award27 Jan 2023
Original languageEnglish
Awarding Institution
  • Universidade Católica Portuguesa
SupervisorFilipa de Almeida (Supervisor)

Keywords

  • Artificial intelligence
  • Meaning
  • Meaning at work
  • Organizational levels
  • Positive meaning
  • Meaning-making
  • Greater good motivations

Designation

  • Mestrado em Gestão e Administração de Empresas

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