The Dark Side of AI-Augmented Leadership: Authoritarian Leadership as A Boundary Condition

Abstract

Purpose
This study aims to investigate the influence of AI-augmented leadership on employee well-being in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). It examine the moderating effect of authoritarian leadership styles.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative study was conducted using data collected from a survey of 104 professionals in Tunisia, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. This research applied the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) technique to test the proposed conceptual framework.
Findings
The results indicate that AI-augmented leadership significantly improves employee well-being. However, moderation analysis reveals that authoritarian leadership weakens this positive relationship. Specifically, when authoritarian leadership dominates, the stress-reducing benefits of using AI are considerably diminished.
This highlights the impact of cultural leadership norms on the effectiveness of AI-based management approaches.