ETHICAL LEADERSHIP, AI CAPABILITY, AND AI TRAINING AS DRIVERS OF EMPLOYEE INNOVATION: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF AI SELF-EFFICACY

Abstract

The increasing integration of artificial intelligence into organizational work processes has intensified interest in understanding how AI-related conditions influence employee innovation. Drawing on Social Cognitive Theory, this study examines how organizational AI capability, ethical leadership, and AI-related training shape employee innovation through the mediating role of AI self-efficacy. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional design, survey data were collected from employees working in AI-intensive organizational settings. The data were analyzed using SPSS and SmartPLS to assess the measurement and structural models. The findings reveal that organizational AI capability, ethical leadership, and AI-related training positively influence AI self-efficacy, which in turn enhances employee innovation. Mediation analysis confirms that AI self-efficacy serves as a central psychological mechanism linking organizational conditions to innovation outcomes. The study contributes to theory by extending Social Cognitive Theory to AI-enabled workplaces and offers practical insights for fostering innovation through human-centered AI strategies.