AI-enabled talent analytics and workforce agility in manufacturing SMEs: the mediating role of human-AI collaboration and the moderating role of technostress resilience

Introduction Small and medium-sized enterprises increasingly use AI-enabled talent analytics (AITA) to support workforce planning and adaptive performance, yet the mechanisms linking AITA to workforce agility (WA) remain underexplored. This study examines human-AI collaboration (HAIC) as a mediating mechanism and technostress resilience (TR) as a psychological resource and boundary condition. Methods A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted with 334 owners, HR managers, and operations/production heads from Pakistani manufacturing SMEs actively using AITA. Exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling, 5,000 bootstrap resamples, and moderation analyses were used to assess the measurement and structural models. Results AITA was positively associated with WA, and HAIC showed a significant indirect association between AITA and WA, consistent with partial statistical mediation. TR was positively associated with WA and significantly strengthened the AITA-WA association. The exploratory TR x HAIC interaction was not statistically significant. Discussion The findings position AITA as a socio-technical work-design resource whose association with agility depends on human interpretation, collaborative routines, and psychological capacity to manage technology-related demands. Because the data are cross-sectional and based on one knowledgeable respondent per firm, the results should be interpreted as manager-perceived associations rather than causal effects.