
Student Theses and Dissertations
Date of Award
Spring 5-19-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Program of Study
Communication - Corporate Communication
Language
English
First Advisor
Minna Logemann
Second Advisor
Sarah Bishop
Abstract
This study explores how Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is reshaping power, trust, engagement, and collaboration in communication-focused workplaces. Guided by a constructivist lens and informed by change management theory, it draws on eight semi-structured interviews and a survey of 40 professionals across agency, corporate, and academic roles. Findings reveal that GenAI does not fully flatten hierarchies, it subtly thins them, enabling junior staff to contribute to strategic conversations earlier while decision rights remain centralized. Trust is highly contextual, shaped by task sensitivity, prompt clarity, and user confidence. GenAI’s impact on engagement was mixed: some participants felt energized; others described increased pace without added meaning. When integrated transparently, GenAI enhanced collaboration by acting as a shared ideation partner and workflow catalyst. Rather than replacing work, GenAI is emerging as a co-participant in how work is imagined, distributed, and valued, signaling a deeper shift that calls for intentional, human-centered change management.
Recommended Citation
Haddadin, Zain Khalid Baz, "Disrupting and Facilitating: The Dual Role of Generative AI in Reshaping Power, Engagement, and Collaboration Within Organizations" (2025). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/bb_etds/213
Included in
Communication Commons, Organization Development Commons, Science and Technology Studies Commons