Effect of Leaders' Artificial Intelligence Symbolization on Older Workers' Successful Aging at Work: A Transactional Theory of Stress Perspective

ABSTRACT Given the trends of increasing artificial intelligence (AI) adoption and population aging, organizations need to facilitate older workers' success at work and help them adapt to the AI work context. Nonetheless, our understanding of the impact of AI (i.e., leaders' AI symbolization) on older workers' successful aging at work is still in its infancy. The aim of this study is to investigate whether and how leaders' AI symbolization affects older workers' success at work. Building on the transactional theory of stress, we identify two countervailing mechanisms that clarify how leaders' AI symbolization influences older workers' successful aging at work through a scenario‐based experiment and a time‐lagged survey. The findings indicate that appraising leaders' AI symbolization as a challenge can trigger promotion‐focused job crafting and help older workers achieve successful aging at work. Meanwhile, appraising leaders' AI symbolization as a hindrance can cause prevention‐focused job crafting and attenuate successful aging at work. Additionally, perceived organizational support strengthens the association between leaders' AI symbolization and challenge appraisal and weakens the association between leaders' AI symbolization and hindrance appraisal. This research enriches our understanding of the impact of leaders' AI symbolization and introduces a new mechanism to interpret older workers' motivation and behaviors due to leaders' AI symbolization in terms of stress.