The Mediating Role of Self-Image in AI Adoption and Job Crafting: Evidence from Chinese High-Tech Enterprises

The rapid adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming workplaces, particularly in high-tech industries, with profound effects on employee behavior and psychology. This study examines how the intensity of AI adoption influences job crafting behaviors, emphasizing positive self-image as a mediating factor and work meaningfulness as a moderator. Drawing on conservation of resources theory and event system theory, the research adopts a mixed-methods approach that includes surveys and scenario-based experiments with 540 employees from Chinese high-tech enterprises. The results reveal that AI adoption intensity indirectly promotes job crafting through its impact on employees' need to maintain a positive self-image, especially in environments with low work meaningfulness. The study highlights the compensatory role of job crafting as employees strive to protect their self-image when faced with AI-induced disruptions. Additionally, it underscores the importance of fostering work meaningfulness to mitigate the negative effects of AI adoption on employees' psychological well-being. These findings offer valuable theoretical and practical insights for managing AI transitions in the workplace, providing strategies to enhance employee resilience and optimize job design. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of the complex dynamics between technology and organizational behavior in AI-dominated environments.