Tech-Savvy Leaders and Uncertain Members in the Face of AI: Moderated Mediation Processes

The current study has examined the impact of uncertainty about work environment on job-related outcomes with the data collected through a two-wave survey from 508 dyads of white-collar workers and their direct supervisors in AI-powered organizations in Japan. The results of structural equation modeling (SEM) suggest that: (a) the effects of uncertainty are mediated by organizational members’ professional identity (i.e., uncertainty is negatively associated with professional identity, which is, in turn, related to organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and job performance of members); (b) transformational leadership of direct supervisors is positively associated with members’ professional identity; and (c) perceived digital literacy of direct supervisors moderates the effects of transformational leadership in a complex manner, such that, when uncertainty is higher and the digital literacy of supervisors is higher, the impact of transformational leadership on professional identity is greater, while the opposite pattern has been detected when uncertainty is lower. These findings are discussed with reference to relevant theories such as the social process of leadership and authentic leadership theory.