Miaomiao Li

In the rapid diffusion of artificial intelligence (AI), firms increasingly rely on AI to reshape user interactions, yet how such interactions translate into sustained innovation remains unclear. Adopting a user–producer interaction perspective, this study examines how AI-Driven User–Producer Interaction (ADUPI) affects User–Producer Interconnected Innovation (UPII), focusing on the mediating roles of User–Producer Knowledge Exchange (UPKE) and User–Producer Knowledge Integration (UPKI), as well as the moderating effect of AI Readiness (AIR). Using survey data from 974 firms and applying regression, mediation, moderation, and bootstrap analyses, the findings show that ADUPI significantly enhances UPII. Moreover, UPKE and UPKI jointly mediate this relationship, forming a dual mediation mechanism in which knowledge integration exerts a stronger effect than knowledge exchange. In addition, AIR positively moderates the effects of ADUPI on both UPKE and UPKI, amplifying innovation outcomes under higher AI readiness. This study advances AI and innovation research by shifting the focus from internal firm capabilities to cross-actor interaction, clarifying differentiated knowledge mechanisms, and highlighting AI readiness as a key condition for value realization. The results also provide actionable insights for firms seeking to convert AI-driven interaction into interconnected innovation through improved AI readiness and knowledge management.

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Introduction: As organizations worldwide grapple with an aging workforce and extended careers, understanding and enhancing the psychological mechanisms underpinning older employees’ job dedication has become increasingly crucial. Building upon Carstensen’s socioemotional selectivity theory, this study explores how older employees’ generativity translates into job dedication through organizational commitment, with trust serving as a key boundary condition. Methods: We address this gap through a three-wave longitudinal study of 489 older employees across multiple organizations in eastern China. Using exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, correlation analysis, and Bootstrap mediation testing, we examine the proposed relationships. Results: The findings indicate that: (1) generativity exerts a significant positive effect on job dedication ( β = 1.06, p < 0.01); (2) generativity promotes job dedication by influencing organizational commitment ( β = 0.99, p < 0.01), which in turn enhances job dedication ( β = 0.61, p < 0.01); (3) cognitive trust ( β = 0.15, p < 0.01) and affective trust ( β = 0.18, p < 0.01) significantly moderate the effect of generativity on organizational commitment. Discussion: Theoretically, our findings extend the socioemotional selectivity theory by demonstrating how generativity acts as a psychological bridge between older employees’ future time perspective and their job dedication. Practically, we identified specific trust-building practices that organizations can implement to unlock the generativity motivation potential of older employees. Thus, this study provides theoretical advances and actionable insights for developing age-inclusive workplaces.

This study aims to explore the dual effects of career optimism on job-seeking behavior and organizational commitment, clarify the underlying mechanisms, and provide organizational management strategies to maximize benefits and mitigate drawbacks. However, the relationship between career optimism, organizational commitment and job-seeking behavior lacks consistency. Using cluster sampling, 370 employees were surveyed at two time points. Bootstrap and moderated mediation analyses were applied to test hypotheses, based on Social Cognitive Career Theory. An analysis of data from 370 employees over two periods found that: (1) Career optimism significantly and positively affected job-seeking behavior and organizational commitment; (2) Subjective career success mediated the relationship between career optimism and job-seeking behavior/organizational commitment; (3) Psychological safety moderated the relationship between subjective career success and job-seeking behavior, that is, the lower the level of psychological safety, the higher are the positive relationship of subjective career success and job-seeking behavior. Theoretically, it reveals the “dual-path” effect of career optimism, and supplements the explanatory gap of Social Cognitive Career Theory in situational moderating mechanisms. Practically, it offers strategies for organizations to balance optimism’s benefits and risks, aiding talent retention.

Innovation is crucial for enterprises to maintain a sustainable competitive advantage. Reverse mentoring, as an emerging mentoring practice that promotes knowledge and idea exchange between junior employees and senior colleagues, is regarded as a crucial element in driving overall innovation within organizations and is gradually attracting the attention of scholars. However, empirical research on its potential benefits is still relatively scarce. Based on the cognitive appraisal theory of stress, this study investigates the relationship and internal mechanisms between reverse mentoring and employees’ innovative behaviors through a two-period follow-up survey of 528 employees in China’s science and technology-based enterprises. The hypotheses were verified using structural equation modeling and bootstrap analysis, and the findings indicated that reverse mentoring positively influenced employees’ innovative behaviors. Simultaneously, challenge stress appraisal and continuous learning serve as chain mediators between reverse mentoring and employees’ innovative behaviors. This study provides valuable references for organizations to effectively implement reverse mentoring practices and foster innovation, offering a new pathway for sustainable innovation among enterprise employees.

The popularity of online shopping in China has increased significantly, creating new development opportunities for the express delivery industry. However, the rapid expansion of the express industry has also created challenges in the parcel sorting process. The demanding nature of parcel sorting work, which is characterized by intense and prolonged repetitive tasks, makes individuals particularly vulnerable to the effects of fatigue. Fatigue is a complex condition that encompasses both physiological and psychological exhaustion. It often results in reduced energy levels and diminished functionality, significantly impacting an individual’s performance at work and their overall well-being. This study aimed to investigate how physiological and psychological fatigue affects sorting efficiency and to identify appropriate rest periods that will allow employees to maintain their performance levels. The research involved fifteen participants who took part in a 60 min continuous sorting experiment and a similar experiment with scheduled breaks. During both trials, we collected data on participants’ electromyography (EMG) and electrodermal activity (EDA), as well as subjective fatigue ratings (RPE). Signal features such as the median frequency (MF) of EMG and the skin conductance level (SCL) were analyzed to assess physiological and psychological fatigue, respectively. The results show that physiological fatigue mainly affects sorting efficiency in the first 30 min, while psychological fatigue becomes more influential in the following half-hour period. In addition, subjective fatigue levels during the first 30 min are primarily determined by psychological factors, while beyond that point, both physiological and psychological fatigue contribute to subjective fatigue. Rest periods of 415–460 s, based on EDA recovery times, effectively support sorting efficiency and participants’ recovery. This study highlights the complex ways in which fatigue affects parcel sorting performance and provides valuable theoretical and practical insights for establishing labor quotas and optimizing work schedules in the parcel sorting industry.