Designing a Thematic Network of Artificial Intelligence Application for Enhancing Employee Creativity in the Banking Industry
Keywords:
Artificial Intelligence, Employee Creativity, Organizational Creativity, Banking IndustryAbstract
The present study aimed to design a thematic network explaining how artificial intelligence adoption contributes to enhancing employee creativity in the banking industry through an integrated conceptual model. This research employed a qualitative applied–descriptive approach. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews with 14 academic experts and senior banking managers selected using purposive sampling. Data collection continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. Thematic analysis was used for data interpretation, and coding procedures were conducted using Atlas.ti software. To enhance reliability and analytical rigor, a three-coder agreement procedure was implemented. Extracted basic themes were subsequently organized into organizing and global themes, forming the final thematic network and conceptual framework of AI-driven employee creativity. The findings revealed that employee creativity within AI-enabled banking environments is shaped by four principal dimensions: AI application components, implementation challenges and barriers, organizational outcomes, and strategic responses to adoption challenges. Artificial intelligence improves analytical capabilities, supports intelligent decision-making, strengthens security mechanisms, and enhances customer interaction processes, thereby enabling employees to engage in creative and innovative behaviors. Moreover, technological infrastructure development, digital skill training, innovation-oriented organizational culture, and AI-based knowledge management were identified as key drivers of innovation performance, productivity growth, and competitive advantage in banks. The study concludes that artificial intelligence functions not merely as a technological tool but as a strategic enabler that integrates technology, human capital, and organizational structures to foster employee creativity and support sustainable innovation and long-term competitiveness in the banking sector.
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