The Perception Gap in AI-Augmented Work : Managerial Intent, Employee Experience, and Innovation Capability

Sammanfattning

The rapid integration of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) into organizational settings has widened a consequential gap between how managers frame AI adoption and how employees experience it in daily work. This study investigates whether this employee-perceived gap can be operationalized as a measurable structural construct and tested as the mechanism through which organizational conditions shape employees’ capacity to innovate with AI. A survey-based study was conducted with 337 respondents across organizations actively deploying GenAI, and covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) with maximum likelihood robust estimation was applied to test the proposed relationships following the Anderson and Gerbing (1988) two-step approach. The study identifies managerial augmentation orientation and strong mentorship as the primary drivers of coherence, which significantly boosts employees’ capacity to innovate with AI. Conversely, perceived misalignment between management intent and daily reality acts as the dominant suppressor of innovation, while general factors like psychological safety showed no significant impact. These findings suggest that organizations must focus on specific alignment strategies rather than relying solely on broad well-being measures to succeed. Results show that AI adaptation hinges not on technological sophistication, but on the coherence between management’s intent and employees’ daily reality. When this alignment exists, it fosters the confidence needed for innovation. When it breaks down, even well-resourced strategies fail. Ultimately, bridging this perception gap is the critical factor in achieving desired AI outcomes.