Language assistants based on artificial intelligence (e.g. Alexa, Siri, Google Home) are already widespread in the private domain. They are also increasingly used in the workplace to increase productivity or counteract the shortage of skilled workers. Language assistants can, for example, provide employees with information that they need to carry out a task. But how do employees react to intelligent language assistants? Do these merely represent a further development of the technological equipment such as computers, as has already taken place in many cases, or do intelligent voice assistants represent a qualitatively different development?
Jonas Ossadnik (Trier University), Katrin Muehlfeld (Trier University) and Laszlo Goerke (IAAEU and Trier University) tackle this question in a contribution, which was presented at the 83rd Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management and has now been published in Computers in Human Behavior. The experimental investigation focuses on the effects language assistants have on the employees' perceived autonomy, organisational support when completing the task, and on the resulting psychological costs. In each case, situations are compared in which helpful information is either provided by colleagues, is determined with the help of a computer, or comes from an intelligent voice assistant. The study also examines how differences in perceived autonomy, organisational support, and psychological costs affect job satisfaction.
The authors show that the help of voice assistants impairs perceived autonomy and causes psychological costs to a similar extent as support by colleagues does. Cooperating with colleagues is perceived as organisational support, but not the help of language assistants. These differences in the perception of intelligent language assistants compared to humans, but also to computers, have an impact on job satisfaction, which is decisively influenced by the design of the work environment. The study by Jonas Ossadnik, Katrin Muehlfeld and Laszlo Goerke thus highlights ways to prevent the negative effects of AI in the workplace.
The study can be downloaded here.
Ossadnik, J., Muehlfeld, K., & Goerke, L. (2023). Man or machine – or something in between? Social responses to voice assistants at work and their effects on job satisfaction. Computers in Human Behavior, Art. 107919.
Jonas Ossadnik (Trier University), Katrin Muehlfeld (Trier University) and Laszlo Goerke (IAAEU and Trier University) tackle this question in a contribution, which was presented at the 83rd Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management and has now been published in Computers in Human Behavior. The experimental investigation focuses on the effects language assistants have on the employees' perceived autonomy, organisational support when completing the task, and on the resulting psychological costs. In each case, situations are compared in which helpful information is either provided by colleagues, is determined with the help of a computer, or comes from an intelligent voice assistant. The study also examines how differences in perceived autonomy, organisational support, and psychological costs affect job satisfaction.
The authors show that the help of voice assistants impairs perceived autonomy and causes psychological costs to a similar extent as support by colleagues does. Cooperating with colleagues is perceived as organisational support, but not the help of language assistants. These differences in the perception of intelligent language assistants compared to humans, but also to computers, have an impact on job satisfaction, which is decisively influenced by the design of the work environment. The study by Jonas Ossadnik, Katrin Muehlfeld and Laszlo Goerke thus highlights ways to prevent the negative effects of AI in the workplace.
The study can be downloaded here.
Ossadnik, J., Muehlfeld, K., & Goerke, L. (2023). Man or machine – or something in between? Social responses to voice assistants at work and their effects on job satisfaction. Computers in Human Behavior, Art. 107919.
