The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in organizations has transformed the nature of work, presenting both opportunities and challenges for employees. This study utilizes several theories to investigate the relationships between AI adoption, job stress, burnout, and self-efficacy in AI learning. A three-wave time-lagged research design was used to collect data from 416 professionals in South Korea. Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed mediation and moderation hypotheses. The results reveal that AI adoption does not directly influence employee burnout but exerts its impact through the mediating role of job stress. The results also show that AI adoption significantly increases job stress, thus increasing burnout. Furthermore, self-efficacy in AI learning was found to moderate the relationship between AI adoption and job stress, with higher self-efficacy weakening the positive relationship. These findings highlight the importance of considering the mediating and moderating mechanisms that shape employee experiences in the context of AI adoption. The results also suggest that organizations should proactively address the potential negative impact of AI adoption on employee well-being by implementing strategies to manage job stress and foster self-efficacy in AI learning. This study underscores the need for a human-centric approach to AI adoption that prioritizes employee well-being alongside technological advancement. Future research should explore additional factors that may influence the relationships between AI adoption, job stress, burnout, and self-efficacy across diverse contexts to inform the development of evidence-based strategies for supporting employees in AI-driven workplaces.

Although many scholars have investigated the influence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in an organization, there has been relatively minimal research regarding the CSR’s impacts on employees as well as the underlying mechanisms of it. Considering the research gaps, in the present research, we examine how CSR practices influence attitudes of employees. In particular, we hypothesize that perceived CSR would enhance organizational commitment (OC) of employees through the sequential mediation of meaningfulness of work (MOW) and perceived organizational support (POS). In order to empirically test this, we utilized two-wave time-lagged survey data from 378 employees who work for companies in South Korea. The results show that MOW and POS sequentially mediate the relationship between perceived CSR and OC. The findings suggest that CSR practices could be an active investment which enhances important attitudes of employees, instead of merely being a cost or obligation for firms.

A body of existing literature delves into how corporate social responsibility (CSR) affects employees’ cognition, emotion, and behavior within an organization. These previous studies, however, pay relatively little attention to the influence of CSR on levels of creativity in employees. Considering that creativity is closely related to innovative capability, which is critical for a firm to survive, the relationship between CSR and employees’ creativity and its elaborate underlying processes need further investigation. Based on a group creativity model, we argue that CSR may increase levels of creativity in employees through mediation of enhanced levels of psychological safety in employees. In addition, existing works on CSR have relatively underexplored the contextual role of leadership in translating CSR practices into employees’ attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors. Using three-wave time-lagged survey data from 311 employees in South Korea, we found that CSR enhances employees’ creativity via mediation of psychological safety. Additionally, ethical leadership positively moderates the relationship between CSR and psychological safety. Our findings suggest that psychological safety in employees functions as an important underlying mechanism to describe the CSR–employee creativity link. Furthermore, this paper emphasizes the importance of the moderating role of ethical leadership in the process of CSR activities.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being integrated into business practices, fundamentally altering workplace dynamics and employee experiences. While the adoption of AI brings numerous benefits, it also introduces negative aspects that may adversely affect employee well-being, including psychological distress and depression. Drawing upon a range of theoretical perspectives, this study examines the association between organizational AI adoption and employee depression, investigating how psychological safety mediates this relationship and how ethical leadership serves as a moderating factor. Utilizing an online survey platform, we conducted a 3-wave time-lagged research study involving 381 employees from South Korean companies. Structural equation modeling analysis revealed that AI adoption has a significant negative impact on psychological safety, which in turn increases levels of depression. Data were analyzed using SPSS 28 for preliminary analyses and AMOS 28 for structural equation modeling with maximum likelihood estimation. Further analysis using bootstrapping methods confirmed that psychological safety mediates the relationship between AI adoption and employee depression. The study also discovered that ethical leadership can mitigate the adverse effects of AI adoption on psychological safety by moderating the relationship between these variables. These findings highlight the critical importance of fostering a psychologically safe work environment and promoting ethical leadership practices to protect employee well-being amid rapid technological advancements. Contributing to the growing body of literature on the psychological effects of AI adoption in the workplace, this research offers valuable insights for organizations seeking to address the human implications of AI integration. The section discusses the practical and theoretical implications of the results and suggests potential directions for future research.