Recently, Professor Kong Haiyan and her team from the School of Business published two papers in the area of artificial intelligence（AI）and career sustainability. One paper entitled “The impact of trust in AI on career sustainability: The role of employee–AI collaboration and protean career orientation” was published in the Journal of Vocational Behavior (SSCI, IF=11.1, Q1, ABS4*). The other paper entitled “How does artificial intelligence (AI) enhance hospitality employee innovation? The roles of exploration, AI trust, and proactive personality” was published in the Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management (SSCI, IF=12.5, Q1). Professor Kong Haiyan is the first author. Ph.D. candidate Yin Zihan is the second and corresponding author. Shandong University is the first institute with the copyright ownership. The first paper was co-authored with Prof. Yehuda Baruch, Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, UK, and professor of Business School, University of Southampton. The second paper was collaborated with Prof. Kaye Chon, from the School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Based on the embeddedness of AI in organizations, these two papers developed the measurement scale of employee–AI collaboration and AI-supported autonomy scales and examined the positive effects of AI on career sustainability and innovation performance. The findings may provide theoretical and practical implications for organizations and managers, especially hotel managers, to help employees enhance their innovation and career sustainability through collaboration with AI.

The impact of trust in AI on career sustainability: The role of employee–AI collaboration and protean career orientation

The first paper proposes a moderated mediation model to test how and when AI trust is linked to employees’ career sustainability based on person–environment fit theory and the importance of employees’ career sustainability in AI integration within organizations. The variable employee–AI collaboration was proposed as a mediator, and employees’ protean career orientation as a moderator. Two studies were conducted to test the hypothesized model. In Study 1, a 5-item measure was developed to evaluate employee–AI collaboration and tested with a sample of employees working with AI technology. In Study 2, multisource and two-wave data were collected to analyze 447 employee–supervisor dyads. The results indicated that AI trust was positively related to employee-rated well-being and supervisor-rated employee productivity via employee–AI collaboration. In addition, the relationship between AI trust and employee–AI collaboration was stronger for employees with high protean career orientation. The paper concluded with a discussion of the theoretical contributions and practical implications.

How does artificial intelligence (AI) enhance hospitality employee innovation? The roles of exploration, AI trust, and proactive personality

The second paper examined how perceived AI-supported autonomy influences innovative performance in the hospitality industry. Drawing on self-determination theory, the researchers proposed and examined a moderated mediation model, positing work exploration as a mediator, and AI trust and proactive personality as the two moderators. A total of 407 valid questionnaires were collected in two waves, targeting full-time employees working with AI technology in the hospitality industry. Results demonstrated that perceived AI-supported autonomy was positively related to innovation via exploration. This mediation was moderated by AI trust and proactive personality. Therefore, Employees who perceive AI-supported autonomy may engage in more exploratory activities in the presence of AI trust and proactive personality. The current study illuminates the positive role of AI on employees’ autonomy and the consequent work outcomes. Moreover, the findings may provide suggestions for hotel human resource practitioners to target potential employees and help them experience the benefits of human-AI interaction in the workplace.

These two papers were supported by the Key Project of the National Social Science Fund of China. Professor Kong Haiyan's team has been committed to research on AI and sustainable development. They have published over 100 refereed journal papers in the fields of human resource, and tourism management, and they have chaired more than 60 research projects, including the National Social Science Fund of China, sub-projects of the Key National Social Science Fund of China. The team has cooperated with many top universities worldwide from the United States, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Australia, Singapore, South Korea, and Hong Kong, China.

Link to the papers:

1. The impact of trust in AI on career sustainability: The role of employee–AI collaboration and protean career orientation

2. How does artificial intelligence (AI) enhance hospitality employee innovation? The roles of exploration, AI trust, and proactive personality