Twenty-first International Conference on Knowledge, Culture, and Change in Organizations

Abstract

Any first step in organisational adaptation starts with individuals’ responses and willingness (or otherwise) to change an aspect of themselves given the settings in which they are operating. This recently published research explores the implications for organisational adaptation strategies when Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being embedded into the ecology of the organisation, and when employees have a dominant fixed or growth mindset (Dweck, 2017). Research participants were supplied with a single scenario based in 2030, where – as a result of Artificial Intelligence technology implementation - employees were going to be displaced. Using Torbert’s (1998) ‘first, second, and third person’ research theory, participants were asked to independently review their thoughts, sense, and image of the future from a fixed mindset position (considered to be the worst case), then from a growth mindset perspective (best case), and then do the same collectively. Five key findings are outlined which support the principle that having a growth mindset is a key component of adaptive capacity and futures literacy. The five key findings conclude that AI adaptation processes need to include a range of factors both within and beyond the edges of the organisation.