The Dual Effects of Coworker AI Usage on Employee Job Crafting: The Moderating Role of Coworker Relationship Quality

Although the effectiveness of employees’ own artificial intelligence (AI) usage is an issue of organizational concern, surprisingly little research has examined employees’ reactions to their coworker AI usage. This study investigates how employees appraise and react to coworker AI usage. By integrating social comparison theory and cognitive appraisal theory of stress, we aim to explore that whether an employee may appraise coworker AI usage as a challenge that promotes job crafting or as a threat that prevent it, depending on the quality of his or her relationship with coworkers. Results from a survey of 418 questionnaires at three time points showed that when coworker relationship quality is high, employee tend to appraise coworker AI usage as a challenge, which enhances their promotion-oriented job crafting. Meanwhile, employees with low quality of coworker relationships tend to appraise coworker AI usage as a threat, facilitating them to engage in prevention-oriented job crafting. Our findings have theoretical and managerial implications and indicate new research directions for AI usage and job crafting issues.