Impact of AI-Based HR Practice on Organizational Culture, Organizational Climate, and Work Attitude Using Organizational Social Context (OSC) With the Mediating Effect of Employee’s Perception of AI

The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into human resource (HR) systems is reshaping organizational practices, yet its effects on culture, climate, and work attitudes remain underexplored in emerging economies. This study investigates how AI-driven HR practices influence the three dimensions of the Organizational Social Context (OSC) in Saudi Arabia’s higher education sector and whether employee perceptions mediate these relationships. Using survey data from 869 university professionals and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), the results indicate that AI-based HR practices significantly affect all three outcomes. Employee perceptions mediate the effects on climate and work attitudes but not on culture. The findings suggest that transparent communication, inclusive implementation, and trust-building are essential to maximize AI’s organizational benefits. For practitioners, employee acceptance and perceptions of AI are critical for enhancing climate and engagement. For scholars, the study identifies employee perception as a key mediator linking AI to organizational outcomes, providing a foundation for future research on AI in HR across industries and cultures.