The harder you work, the easier the work: paradoxical effects of AI adoption in project management
The harder you work, the easier the work: paradoxical effects of AI adoption in project management
Generative AI is a rapidly emerging technology that can enhance professional work by producing novel, convincing and high-quality content, at the same time as presenting new existential (as well as mundane) risks. Previous technological developments have produced paradoxical effects, such as manufacturing automation making the machine operator both more important and less capable. As a critical organizational function that enacts strategy and implements new technologies, project management presents an ideal setting to investigate the use and the effects of GenAI. This paper explores: how do project managers anticipate the paradoxical effects of GenAI adoption in their work? Semi-structured interviews with 32 project professionals were analyzed to reveal a series of anticipated paradoxical effects relating to productivity, skills, well-being, accountability, risk, the poverty premium, and sustainability. This paper contributes to paradox theory by revealing a multi-level narrative in resolving the paradoxes, while identifying well-being as an important but missing dimension.
Baxter, David
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Dacre, Nicholas
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Dong, Hao
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Shen, Yixue
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Al-Mhdawi, M.K.S
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Baxter, David
a7d6ba3f-370f-493d-9202-218d5e6dfc54
Dacre, Nicholas
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Dong, Hao
73a03c20-d661-446a-b45e-d2cf9e556998
Shen, Yixue
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Al-Mhdawi, M.K.S
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Baxter, David, Dacre, Nicholas, Dong, Hao, Shen, Yixue and Al-Mhdawi, M.K.S
(2026)
The harder you work, the easier the work: paradoxical effects of AI adoption in project management.
European Academy of Management 26th Conference: Navigating High Waters, University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway.
16 - 19 Jun 2026.
(In Press)
Record type:
Conference or Workshop Item
(Paper)
Abstract
Generative AI is a rapidly emerging technology that can enhance professional work by producing novel, convincing and high-quality content, at the same time as presenting new existential (as well as mundane) risks. Previous technological developments have produced paradoxical effects, such as manufacturing automation making the machine operator both more important and less capable. As a critical organizational function that enacts strategy and implements new technologies, project management presents an ideal setting to investigate the use and the effects of GenAI. This paper explores: how do project managers anticipate the paradoxical effects of GenAI adoption in their work? Semi-structured interviews with 32 project professionals were analyzed to reveal a series of anticipated paradoxical effects relating to productivity, skills, well-being, accountability, risk, the poverty premium, and sustainability. This paper contributes to paradox theory by revealing a multi-level narrative in resolving the paradoxes, while identifying well-being as an important but missing dimension.
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Accepted/In Press date: 5 March 2026
Venue - Dates:
European Academy of Management 26th Conference: Navigating High Waters, University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway, 2026-06-16 - 2026-06-19
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 510595
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/510595
PURE UUID: 998f8349-4848-4432-b1d9-1d944000feb8
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Date deposited: 14 Apr 2026 16:31
Last modified: 15 Apr 2026 02:01
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Contributors
Author:
Yixue Shen
Author:
M.K.S Al-Mhdawi
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