How could fit between polychronicity and multitasking shape employees' self-leadership? The moderating role of AI-empowered task processing
As AI becomes increasingly integrated into the workplace, understanding how prevailing multitasking practices interact with AI support to foster employee self-leadership is essential for enhancing organizational effectiveness. This study elucidates how the fit between multitasking and polychronicity...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frai.2025.1451944/full |
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| author | Zhirui Zhou Shuting Xiang Qingxin Xie |
| author_facet | Zhirui Zhou Shuting Xiang Qingxin Xie |
| author_sort | Zhirui Zhou |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | As AI becomes increasingly integrated into the workplace, understanding how prevailing multitasking practices interact with AI support to foster employee self-leadership is essential for enhancing organizational effectiveness. This study elucidates how the fit between multitasking and polychronicity among employees in organizations can synergistically influence their self-leadership within the context of AI empowerment. This study conducts two time-lagged survey studies using polynomial regression analysis, block variable analysis, and response surface methodology based on the “Fit Between Individuals, Tasks and Technology” (FITT) framework and the JD-R theoretical model. Study 1 examined the polychronicity-multitasking fit based on data collected from 116 employees at two time points in an AI company in China. Study 2 tested the mediating and moderating effect based on data of 188 employees from two other AI companies in China at three time points. The results show that congruence between polychronicity and multitasking predicts greater employee self-leadership compared to incongruence, and the higher the degree of congruence, the stronger the self-leadership. For incongruence, the “high-low” state promotes self-leadership better than the “low-high” state. We also reveal the mediating role of thriving at work and the moderating role of AI-empowered task processing between polychronicity-multitasking fit and self-leadership. For well-matched employees, AI serves as a facilitator of task processing, thereby enhancing employee self-leadership; whereas for mismatched ones, AI acts as an additional task burden or as a catalyst that exacerbates the existing imbalance, which impedes the motivation for self-leadership. These findings advance the understanding of self-leadership in multitasking contexts and provide valuable insights for organizations implementing AI tools. This study underscores the critical importance of aligning employees' work preferences with task demands to fully leverage the potential of AI empowerment. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b5f644835d89492f8f6ac184bf77cb1c |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2624-8212 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence |
| spelling | doaj-art-b5f644835d89492f8f6ac184bf77cb1c2025-01-28T06:41:31ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence2624-82122025-01-01810.3389/frai.2025.14519441451944How could fit between polychronicity and multitasking shape employees' self-leadership? The moderating role of AI-empowered task processingZhirui Zhou0Shuting Xiang1Qingxin Xie2School of International Business, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu, ChinaSchool of International Business, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu, ChinaCollege of Management, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, ChinaAs AI becomes increasingly integrated into the workplace, understanding how prevailing multitasking practices interact with AI support to foster employee self-leadership is essential for enhancing organizational effectiveness. This study elucidates how the fit between multitasking and polychronicity among employees in organizations can synergistically influence their self-leadership within the context of AI empowerment. This study conducts two time-lagged survey studies using polynomial regression analysis, block variable analysis, and response surface methodology based on the “Fit Between Individuals, Tasks and Technology” (FITT) framework and the JD-R theoretical model. Study 1 examined the polychronicity-multitasking fit based on data collected from 116 employees at two time points in an AI company in China. Study 2 tested the mediating and moderating effect based on data of 188 employees from two other AI companies in China at three time points. The results show that congruence between polychronicity and multitasking predicts greater employee self-leadership compared to incongruence, and the higher the degree of congruence, the stronger the self-leadership. For incongruence, the “high-low” state promotes self-leadership better than the “low-high” state. We also reveal the mediating role of thriving at work and the moderating role of AI-empowered task processing between polychronicity-multitasking fit and self-leadership. For well-matched employees, AI serves as a facilitator of task processing, thereby enhancing employee self-leadership; whereas for mismatched ones, AI acts as an additional task burden or as a catalyst that exacerbates the existing imbalance, which impedes the motivation for self-leadership. These findings advance the understanding of self-leadership in multitasking contexts and provide valuable insights for organizations implementing AI tools. This study underscores the critical importance of aligning employees' work preferences with task demands to fully leverage the potential of AI empowerment.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frai.2025.1451944/fullpolychronicitymultitaskingpolychronicity-multitasking fitartificial intelligence empowermentself-leadershipfit between individuals |
| spellingShingle | Zhirui Zhou Shuting Xiang Qingxin Xie How could fit between polychronicity and multitasking shape employees' self-leadership? The moderating role of AI-empowered task processing Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence polychronicity multitasking polychronicity-multitasking fit artificial intelligence empowerment self-leadership fit between individuals |
| title | How could fit between polychronicity and multitasking shape employees' self-leadership? The moderating role of AI-empowered task processing |
| title_full | How could fit between polychronicity and multitasking shape employees' self-leadership? The moderating role of AI-empowered task processing |
| title_fullStr | How could fit between polychronicity and multitasking shape employees' self-leadership? The moderating role of AI-empowered task processing |
| title_full_unstemmed | How could fit between polychronicity and multitasking shape employees' self-leadership? The moderating role of AI-empowered task processing |
| title_short | How could fit between polychronicity and multitasking shape employees' self-leadership? The moderating role of AI-empowered task processing |
| title_sort | how could fit between polychronicity and multitasking shape employees self leadership the moderating role of ai empowered task processing |
| topic | polychronicity multitasking polychronicity-multitasking fit artificial intelligence empowerment self-leadership fit between individuals |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frai.2025.1451944/full |
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