The Dark Sides of Artificial Intelligence Implementation: Examining How Corporate Social Responsibility Buffers the Impact of Artificial Intelligence‐Induced Job Insecurity on Pro‐Environmental Behavior Through Meaningfulness of Work

Byung‐Jik Kim and Julak Lee

Sustainable Development, 2025, vol. 33, issue 3, 4732-4756

Abstract: This study investigates the complex relationships between artificial intelligence (AI)‐induced job insecurity, meaningfulness of work (MOW), pro‐environmental behavior at work (PEBW), and corporate social responsibility (CSR) in South Korean organizations. As AI technologies increasingly permeate the workplace, understanding their impact on employee attitudes and behaviors becomes crucial for organizational sustainability efforts. Drawing on several theories, we propose and test a moderated mediation model using a three‐wave time‐lagged design with 392 employees from various South Korean corporations. Our findings reveal that AI‐induced job insecurity negatively influences PEBW through the mediating role of MOW. Contrary to initial expectations, no direct relationship was found between AI‐induced job insecurity and PEBW. Instead, AI‐induced job insecurity decreases employees' MOW, which in turn reduces their engagement in PEBW. Furthermore, we found that CSR moderates the AI‐induced job insecurity‐MOW link, such that strong CSR buffers the negative influence of AI‐induced job insecurity. These results may contribute to the literature on organizational behavior, environmental sustainability, and technological change by elucidating the psychological mechanisms linking AI‐induced job insecurity to PEBW. Our study emphasizes the crucial role of MOW in this relationship. Also, it demonstrates how CSR can function as a strategic tool to weaken the potential negative impacts of AI implementation on employee attitudes and behaviors. The findings offer meaningful implications for managers and policymakers navigating the challenges of AI integration while promoting environmental sustainability at work. By maintaining employee MOW and leveraging CSR initiatives, organizations may be better equipped to foster PEBW in the face of technological changes.

Date: 2025
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https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.3376

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:wly:sustdv:v:33:y:2025:i:3:p:4732-4756

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