Artificial intelligence-driven transformation in healthcare: the mediating role of technostress in the impact of openness to organizational change and attitude toward AI on innovative behavior.

PURPOSE: The rapid proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) applications in healthcare is transforming the ways in which employees interact with technology, making it crucial to understand the effects of this process on employee behavior. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of openness to organizational change and attitudes toward AI on employees' innovative behavior, and to test the mediating role of technostress in these effects. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The research was conducted using a quantitative research design. Data were collected via face-to-face surveys from 305 healthcare workers employed at a university hospital in Istanbul, Türkiye, between January and February 2026 and analyzed using structural equation modeling. SPSS and AMOS software were used to analyze the collected data. FINDINGS: The findings revealed that employees with high levels of openness to organizational change and a positive attitude toward AI experienced lower levels of technostress, and that this, in turn, increased their innovative work behavior. Additionally, it was determined that technostress plays a partial mediating role in the effects of openness to organizational change and a positive attitude toward AI on innovative behavior. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS: In conclusion, it has been demonstrated that employees' perceptions of technology and their openness to change shape innovative behavior through technostress in AI-driven transformation processes. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: This study contributes to the literature by integrating digital transformation, organizational behavior, and health management; it also provides practical implications highlighting the importance of employee-centered digital transformation strategies for healthcare organizations and policymakers.