The effect of artificial intelligence awareness on frontline service employees’ silence: the roles of psychological contract breach and moral identity

Purpose The widespread use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in the hospitality industry has triggered concerns among frontline service employees about their future careers, namely, AI awareness. This study aims to explore whether AI awareness influences frontline service employees’ silence through psychological contract breach and whether this process is contingent on frontline service employees’ moral identity, drawing on social exchange theory and moral identity theory. Design/methodology/approach The data were collected from 355 frontline service employees in Chinese hotels using a two-wave survey. SPSS macro PROCESS Model 58 was used to test the proposed hypotheses. Findings AI awareness increases frontline service employees’ silence by prompting psychological contract breach. This process is moderated by frontline service employees’ moral identity. Specifically, moral identity mitigates the effect of psychological contract breach on silence. Practical implications Organizations and managers should pay attention to the impact of AI on frontline service employees and take measures to help them better adapt to the rapidly changing work environment. In particular, it helps reduce frontline service employees’ silence by fostering positive attitudes toward AI, maintaining their psychological contracts and developing their moral identities. Originality/value This study enriches the research on the outcomes of AI awareness by directing our attention to frontline service employees’ silence. Moreover, this study not only explores the responses to AI awareness that frontline service employees make as “economic persons” but also examine whether they, as “moral persons,” regulate their responses contingent on their moral identity under the impact of AI. Exploring frontline service employees’ dual identities helps bring this research closer to the realities of managerial practice, thereby contributing to a better understanding and management of their complex responses to AI shocks.