Document Type : Research Article
Authors
1
Full Professor, Department of Management, Faculty of Economics and Management, Lorestan University, Khorram Abad, Lorestan, Iran vahdati.h@lu.ac.ir
2
Ph.D in Public Administration - Organizational Behavior, Faculty of Economics and Management, Lorestan University, Khorram Abad, Lorestan, Iran jalali.mo@fc.lu.ac.ir
10.22059/jomc.2025.398272.1008842
Abstract
The rapid integration of advanced technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), into organizational processes has raised increasing concerns about their psychosocial implications, notably workplace loneliness. This study examines the effect of AI on workplace loneliness, with organizational dehumanization as a mediating mechanism. Anchored in a positivist paradigm, the research employed a quantitative, cross‑sectional design using a researcher‑developed questionnaire. The statistical population comprised employees of the Imam Khomeini(RA) Relief Committee in Kurdistan Province (N = 379), from which 220 participants were selected via Cohen’s formula and stratified random sampling. Measurement validity and reliability were confirmed through factor loadings, composite reliability, Cronbach’s alpha, content validity indices (CVR and CVI, assessed by eight domain experts), convergent validity (AVE), and discriminant validity (HTMT). Data analysis using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS‑SEM) demonstrated a significant direct effect of AI on workplace loneliness and on organizational dehumanization, as well as a significant direct effect of organizational dehumanization on workplace loneliness. Mediation analysis, employing both bootstrapping (T = 8.745, p < 0.001) and Sobel testing (z = 7.629, p < 0.001), confirmed that organizational dehumanization partially mediates the AI–loneliness relationship. Additionally, ANOVA results revealed significant mean differences in the constructs across demographic variables such as work experience, age, employment type, organizational position, and educational attainment. The findings underscore the dual nature of AI adoption-enhancing operational efficiency while potentially exacerbating social‑psychological risks- and highlight the critical role of organizational processes in mitigating unintended human consequences of technological transformation.
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