Abstract

Artificial intelligence is increasingly part of the modern project manager’s toolset, supporting planning, analysis, communication, and decision-making. Current research has largely focused on AI adoption and planned use, particularly through technology acceptance frameworks such as the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) (Venkatesh et al., 2003). While these models help explain whether individuals intend to use AI systems, they offer only limited insight into how professionals engage with AI behaviorally and cognitively once it becomes embedded in decision-making processes. In practice, project managers may adopt AI tools in fundamentally different ways, ranging from limited or avoidance-oriented use to active, collaborative integration into decision-making. This conceptual proposal introduces AI Engagement Orientation as a framework for understanding how project managers engage with AI in their work. AI Engagement Orientation is a stable orientation reflecting how individuals engage with AI in professional decision-making contexts, ranging from avoidance to an integrative partnership. Drawing from research on technology adoption (Venkatesh et al., 2003), trust in automation (Lee & See, 2004), professional commitment (Meyer et al., 1993), and AI identity threat, the proposed model positions UTAUT factors, trust in AI, professional commitment, and identity threat (Mirbabaie et al., 2022) as antecedents shaping AI Engagement Orientation. In turn, AI Engagement Orientation is proposed to influence AI-assisted decision behavior, including the degree to which project managers use AI in assistive, collaborative, or delegated decision-making roles. As AI becomes more embedded in project work, differences in how project managers engage with AI may influence reliance patterns and decision behavior. By redirecting the focus of AI research in project management from adoption toward engagement, this proposal contributes to a behavioral and cognitive perspective on understanding AI integration in professional work. The framework provides a foundation for future construct development and empirical investigation into how professionals interact with AI beyond simple measures of adoption or frequency of use.

Download

Share

COinS