Mere Algorithms may be Demotivating

Journal: Nature Reviews Psychology

Abstract: There is an ongoing debate among OB scholars whether artificial intelligence tools hamper or enhance motivation. Using Self Determination Theory (SDT) as an underlying framework, scholars of work motivation published a recent article in Nature Reviews Psychology arguing that algorithms per se were not the root cause of decreasing motivation, but that how humans deployed them in organizational systems played a bigger role. The authors, Dr Karumathil and Prof. Tripathi, countered their argument by identifying the nuances that they had overlooked, demonstrating that algorithms by their very nature may demotivate workers under certain circumstances. They argued that algorithms learn adaptively based on training data which is often inaccessible to the organization in which it is deployed. If the training data misrepresented or omitted critical inputs for organizational decisions, algorithms by their very nature would replicate these errors across the organization. Additionally, opacity of the algorithms makes them incomprehensible to HR professionals, opening the possibility of misuse and explaining away difficult decisions by ‘hiding behind the technology’. Over time, employees are likely to shift their behavior to align with what the algorithm incentivizes in the short term, while overlooking strategic initiatives. By having critical decisions around hiring, learning and promotions determined by an algorithm, workers are likely to feel powerless and subsequently, demotivated.