This study aims to investigate the relationship between AI trust (AIT) and employee digital performance (EDP), with employee–AI collaboration (EAC) as a mediator. Additionally, the study examines how digital self-efficacy (DSE) moderates this process.
This study conducted a multi-wave questionnaire survey among 210 employees in China. Statistical analyses were conducted using AMOS 24 and the PROCESS macro in SPSS 27.
AIT has a positive relationship with EAC; EAC mediates the relationships between AIT and digital-enabled task performance (DETP) as well as between AIT and digital-enabled innovation performance (DEIP); DSE positively moderates the relationship between AIT and EAC, while also positively moderating the mediating role of EAC in the relationships between AIT and both dimensions of EDP.
Utilizing self-determination theory, this study constructs a moderated mediation model between AIT and EDP, revealing that EAC serves as a critical mechanism facilitating the transition from trust to performance enhancement. Additionally, the study identifies the significant boundary role played by employees’ DSE.
