Unlocking creative potential through employee–AI collaboration: a self-regulatory focus on job crafting and leaders’ creativity expectations

Purpose While employees are not being replaced by artificial intelligence (AI), they face increasing pressure to adapt and acquire new AI-related skills regardless of their attitudes towards AI collaboration. Drawing on self-regulation theory, regulatory focus theory and regulatory fit theory, this study examines how and when employee–AI collaboration (EAI-C) in the high-tech service industry influences employees’ job crafting and subsequent creative work involvement. Additionally, it explores whether leaders’ creativity expectations moderate the relationship between job crafting and creative work involvement. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through a multi-source, three-wave survey involving 295 employee–supervisor pairs in the Chinese technology service industry, all of whom interacted with AI on a daily basis. This study focused on the impact of EAI-C on promotion- and prevention-focused job crafting and the role of leaders’ creativity expectations in shaping creative work involvement. Findings The findings reveal a positive correlation between EAI-C and promotion-focused job crafting, which in turn enhances creative work involvement. Moreover, the positive effect of promotion-focused job crafting on creative work involvement is significantly amplified by leaders’ creativity expectations. Originality/value This study advances the understanding of EAI-C by explaining the mechanisms through which EAI-C influences creative work involvement. It also highlights the moderating role of leaders’ creativity expectations and offers valuable implications for both theory and practice in EAI-C and creative work systems.