Career and Organizational Counseling

Career and Organizational Counseling

Modeling the emergent phenomenon of organizational dehumanization in the age of artificial intelligence using interpretive structural modeling

Document Type : علمی - پژوهشی

Authors
1 PhD student in public Administraion, Faculty of Management, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran.
2 Associate Professor, Management faculty, Lorestan university, Khorramabad, Iran.
3 Professor, Department of Management, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran.
4 Prof, Department of Management, Faculty of Economics and Management, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran.
Abstract
Aim: ” Accordingly, this study aims to develop an emergence model of organizational dehumanization in the era of AI using the Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) method. Methodology: The present study employs a mixed-methods research design, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative approaches. In terms of purpose, this is an applied study positioned within the pragmatist paradigm. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 experts—including employees, managers of knowledge-based organizations, and academic faculty members—selected via purposive sampling based on the principle of theoretical sufficiency. Validity and reliability were confirmed through content analysis, Cohen’s kappa coefficient (0.83), and inter-coder/intra-coder reliability assessments. The correlated and intervening factors encompass an emphasis on quantitative performance metrics, ambiguity in accountability, psychological insecurity, increasing dependency on AI tools, and the prioritization of algorithmic decisions over human expertise. Furthermore, the dimensions of the emergence of this phenomenon include algorithmic objectification, cognitive friction, modern servitude, and feelings of isolation and loneliness among employees. Finally, the consequences of organizational dehumanization in the AI era are characterized by the stagnation of individual knowledge development, the erosion of professional identity, a decline in employees’ problem-solving and decision-making capabilities, and the manifestation of job alienation. Conclusion: Organizational dehumanization in the AI era is conceptualized as a critical phenomenon with profound negative implications for human nature, values, and dignity.
Keywords
Subjects


Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 10 October 2026