Managing in the age of AI: Exploring the Role of AI in Managerial Work

Abstract

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly integrated into workplaces, new opportunities and challenges emerge for organizations and managers. Prior research has mainly focused on the macro-level impacts or technical outcomes of integrating AI into organizations. Therefore, this study aims to shed light on a frequently overlooked aspect: how managers themselves describe the influence of AI on their work. By adopting a materiality framework, the study explores the affordances and constraints that arise in the interaction between AI and managers and additionally, what role AI takes on within different dimensions of managerial work. In order to explore this, 18 semi-constructed interviews were conducted with managers across various fields. The findings indicate that AI has a greater influence on the operational dimensions of managerial work compared to the relational dimensions that occur between managers and their teams. Within the operational dimensions, AI functions as an Efficiency Driver for administrative responsibilities and an Insight Generator in decision-making processes. However, within the relational dimension, AI can be seen as a Message Optimizer in the area of communication, while taking on the role of a Relational Bystander in team and relationship building. This qualitative, practice-oriented research contributes to the field of management studies by examining the evolving relationship between AI and managers, as well as identifying the role AI takes on within different dimensions of managerial work. It contributes to ongoing debates about managerial agency in the context of AI by offering practical insights into how managers can meaningfully engage with AI. The study emphasizes the importance of developing AI literacy, adapting managerial roles, and sustaining a human-centered approach in an increasingly AI-augmented organizational landscape.