AI Acceptance: Which Is the Role of Managers’ Cognition, Spirituality and Mindfulness?

AI represents a disruptive force in the I4.0 era, it may allow to revolutionize business models through real-time access to apparently seamless information about internal processes, consumer and competitors. Extant managerial research on AI, anyway, mostly focused on organizational characteristics fostering its adoption in businesses. It emerged the need to observe the phenomenon at an individual level. Building on Cognitive Dual Process Theory and Religious Social Shaping Theory (RSS), paths underlying managers’ behavioral intention to adopt and trust AI have been explored. A structural model observing the effect of linear decision-making and non-linear decision-making on IT mindfulness, and in turn on adoption and trust toward the AI has been developed. Individual spirituality -the personal engagement in religious practices- has been considered as a influencing the mechanism underlying the relationship between the two different decision-making styles and the achievement of IT mindfulness. Individual’s spirituality, which differs on the basis of religious beliefs, may then shape the decision paths of a manager and his/her way to relate with a technology. Results from 595 surveys administered across the world 5 largest religious groups show the dominance of linear decision-making path and the importance of Spirituality and IT mindfulness in accepting and trusting AI.