Transforming work in the digital era: AI-enhanced leadership and its effect on IT professional burnout

This study examines the impact of AI-enhanced transformational leadership on IT professional burnout among Chinese IT professionals while investigating the mediating role of AI learning self-efficacy and the moderating effects of AI-enabled work practices and organizational AI-communication adequacy. Drawing on the technology-organization-environment (TOE) Framework, our research integrates traditional transformational leadership with emerging AI applications, offering a comprehensive model for understanding how digital leadership influences employee well-being in high-pressure IT environments. Data collected from 511 IT professionals across major Chinese technology hubs were analyzed using SMART-PLS. Findings reveal that AI-enhanced transformational leadership significantly reduces burnout by enhancing employees' AI learning self-efficacy. Moreover, robust AI-enabled work practices further strengthen this positive effect, although the moderating role of organizational AI-communication adequacy remains inconclusive. These results extend established leadership theories into the digital era, providing actionable insights for organizations seeking to cultivate a resilient, innovative, and healthy workforce. Implications for theory and practice are discussed, with recommendations for future research to explore these dynamics in diverse cultural and industrial contexts.