A recent study highlights the critical balance managers must strike when using AI for workplace communication. While AI tools can enhance message professionalism, excessive reliance may undermine trust between supervisors and employees.
A new study reveals that while AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot or Claude are prevalent in professional settings, their use in managerial communication might be a double-edged sword.
Conducted by Anthony Coman, a researcher at the University of Florida’s Warrington College of Business, and Peter Cardon of the University of Southern California, the study found that AI can enhance the professionalism of managerial emails but may also erode trust between managers and employees.
“We see a tension between perceptions of message quality and perceptions of the sender,” Coman said in a news release. “Despite positive impressions of professionalism in AI-assisted writing, managers who use AI for routine communication tasks put their trustworthiness at risk when using medium- to high-levels of AI assistance.”
Published in the International Journal of Business Communication, the study surveyed 1,100 professionals to gauge their reactions to email messages written with varying degrees of AI assistance.
The findings underscored a notable “perception gap.” While AI-assisted writing was generally seen as efficient and professional, higher levels of AI assistance led to negative impressions of the sender’s sincerity and competence.
“When people evaluate their own use of AI, they tend to rate their use similarly across low, medium and high levels of assistance,” Coman added. “However, when rating other’s use, magnitude becomes important. Overall, professionals view their own AI use leniently, yet they are more skeptical of the same levels of assistance when used by supervisors.”
The study’s results were telling: messages with low AI assistance were deemed professional and sincere by 95% and 83% of employees, respectively. In contrast, these figures plummeted to 69-73% for professionalism and 40-52% for sincerity when high AI assistance was detected.
The researchers emphasized that while AI tools are valuable for streamlining routine, informational or factual messages, they should be sparingly used for communications that require a personal touch, such as congratulatory notes, motivational messages or personal feedback.
The study suggests a nuanced approach to AI use, advocating for minimal AI intervention in relationship-oriented communications to preserve the perceived integrity and caring nature of the manager.
“In some cases, AI-assisted writing can undermine perceptions of traits linked to a supervisor’s trustworthiness,” added Coman, citing impacts on perceived ability and integrity.
This research underscores the delicate balance managers must maintain when leveraging AI in their written communications, highlighting the broader implications of technology use on workplace dynamics and trust.
Source: University of Florida