Algorithmic Norms: How AI Shapes and Disrupts Organizational Culture in Real-Time

Yaroğlu (2024) highlights the hermeneutic cycle between AI and culture, but empirical work on how AI systems actually create new norms—or undermine existing ones—remains scarce. This research would examine organizations that have integrated AI into core processes (e.g., performance management, hiring, workflow allocation) and map how these systems codify certain behaviors as “normal” or “acceptable,” sometimes in ways that are opaque or unintended by human leaders. The research would look for both positive and negative deviations: when do algorithmic norms lead to improved ethics, equity, or efficiency, and when do they perpetuate bias or erode trust? The innovative angle is to treat AI as an active participant in the cultural evolution of organizations, not just a tool—opening up new questions about digital ethics, algorithmic transparency, and resistance. This work could inform guidelines for “culturally aware” AI implementation and governance.

References:

1. The effects of artificial intelligence on organizational culture in the perspective of the hermeneutic cycle: The intersection of mental processes. Aslıhan Canbul Yaroğlu (2024). Systems research and behavioral science.