The Role of Cognitive Flexibility, Self- Efficacy and Emotional Intelligence in Predicting Attitude Towards AI and Job Satisfaction: A Moderated Mediation Analysis

Abstract

With the dynamic nature of the present-day workforce, soft skills have become as important as technical skills, if not more. The rapid changes in the working environment and increasing technological adaptations like Artificial Intelligence highlights the need to understand the employee’s attitudes towards advancements like the use of AI and how satisfied they are with their present jobs, while also tap into the role of psychological resources such as emotional intelligence and self- efficacy in the process The present study aims to find whether cognitive flexibility influences an employee’s job satisfaction and attitude towards artificial intelligence when it is mediated by emotional intelligence and whether the level of self- efficacy has a role to play in the relationship using a sample of 110 working professionals employed in organizations making use of AI. Moderated Mediation Model was employed to conduct the analysis. Result showed that cognitive flexibility is a valuable skill with a positive relationship with emotional intelligence, depending on the degree of self-efficacy. Mediation analysis also identified that emotional intelligence is an essential mechanism accounting for the relationship between cognitive flexibility and job satisfaction and attitude towards artificial intelligence. Additionally, the analysis of moderated mediation showed strong evidence that self-efficacy is an important factor in furthering the influence of cognitive flexibility on emotional intelligence and, as such, highlighting their significance in enabling an employee's mindset towards artificial intelligence in evolving work environments and encouraging positive workplace results such as job satisfaction.