Fear of losing a job to AI and the hiding of knowledge

At a glance

Source

Kim and Kim (2024). How artificial intelligence-induced job insecurity shapes knowledge dynamics: the mitigating role of artificial intelligence self-efficacy. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 9(4), 100590. doi:10.1016/j.jik.2024.100590

How it was done

A survey of the same employees at three points in time. Repeated survey. The same people answered questions at several points in time.

Who took part

402 employees from various industries.

Where

South Korea.

“AI-induced job insecurity positively relates to knowledge-hiding behavior, directly and indirectly, via reduced psychological safety.”

What it found

• Employees who felt their job was threatened by AI hid more knowledge from colleagues.
• Part of this ran through psychological safety: insecure employees felt less safe to speak up, and people who feel unsafe share less.
• Employees who felt confident they could learn to use AI were less affected.

This matters for any AI project. Building or setting up an AI tool depends on staff explaining how the work is really done.

When the result holds

The finding is about employees who believe AI threatens their job. Where staff do not feel that threat, the effect should be weaker.

Limits

• Knowledge hiding was reported by the employees themselves.
• The same research team ran this study and a closely related one. Independent teams have not yet repeated it.

Practices that use this study

This study supports:

• Protect psychological safety during an AI rollout AI projects can make staff afraid to speak up and unwilling to share what they know. Say early what AI means for jobs, and consult the people affected. Do first · Effort: medium (weeks, a few people) Evidence: Moderate Contested People and skills · Adopt

Assessments linked to this study

• How well does the organization learn? Dimensions of the Learning Organization Questionnaire (DLOQ) Staff, about their organization · 21 questions in the version tested in Germany Not established Testing: Strong Culture and speaking-up surveys
• Where do people feel unsafe to speak up: in the organization, the team or one-to-one? Perception of Psychological Safety scale (PPS) Each employee · 14 questions Free to use and adapt Testing: Moderate Culture and speaking-up surveys
• How safe does each employee feel at work? Psychological Safety Inventory (PSI) Each employee · 30 questions Ask the authors Testing: Moderate Culture and speaking-up surveys
• Do people in this team speak up, or stay silent? Composite measure of psychological safety (observation and survey) A trained observer and the team’s members · One observed team meeting, plus a 19-question survey Free to use and adapt Testing: Emerging Culture and speaking-up surveys