Inclusive algorithmic work design: the moderating role of DEI interventions and diversity-supportive culture in AI-driven workplace transformation

Digital transformation has changed how work is designed and governed. Algorithmic management systems and AI tools automate task allocation, performance evaluation, and decision support. While these systems offer efficiency gains, they also risk deepening structural inequalities unless they are embedded in inclusive organisational arrangements. This conceptual paper examines algorithmic work design, organisational culture, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) interventions. It proposes that DEI-aligned change strategies moderate the link between technology implementation and employee adaptive outcomes. Drawing on sociotechnical systems theory, organisational culture theory, and change readiness frameworks, the paper builds an integrative model that explains how inclusive work design and DEI strategies foster employee trust, psychological safety, and adaptive behaviour during AI-driven transformation. The argument is that DEI interventions moderate the relationship between algorithmic work design and employee outcomes by embedding fairness, transparency, and participation into digital systems. Moreover, a diversity-supportive organisational culture strengthens employees’ readiness for change and their engagement with AI-enabled performance management. By synthesising insights from organisational behaviour, diversity management, and digital work research, the paper provides a novel framework for inclusive digital transformation and offers theoretical propositions and empirical directions for studying equitable AI-mediated workplaces.