Algorithmic and Behavioral Biases in the Adoption of Artificial Intelligence in Work Processes: Organizational, Ethical, and Socio-Technical Implications

CALL FOR PAPERS

Journal: Business Process Management Journal

Publisher: Emerald Publishing

Submission Opens: 1 June 2026

Submission Deadline: 31 July 2027

Introduction

This Special Issue aims to explore how algorithmic and behavioral biases influence the adoption, use, and outcomes of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in organizational settings. As AI systems increasingly shape decision-making, human resource management, operational processes, and strategic planning, understanding how biases emerge and interact within socio-technical systems has become a critical scholarly and societal challenge.

This Special Issue offers an original contribution by bridging two research streams that are often treated separately — algorithmic biases embedded in data, models, and computational architectures, and behavioral biases rooted in human cognition, organizational routines, and institutional structures. Building on socio-technical systems theory, AI is conceived as co-constructed by technologies, individuals, and their environments.

Scope & Significance

The originality of this Special Issue lies in examining the dynamic interplay between:

Technical biases — biased training data, model opacity, and feedback loops
Cognitive and organizational biases — overconfidence, automation bias, anchoring, and resistance to change

Recent research has emphasized the role of behavioral biases in organizational and entrepreneurial decision-making, highlighting contextual and institutional moderators of such biases. Emerging work further demonstrates how digital technologies and AI systems interact with managerial cognition and organizational structures — creating hybrid forms of bias that are neither purely human nor purely algorithmic.

The topicality of this Special Issue is reinforced by the rapid diffusion of AI across organizational domains including human resource management and recruitment, decision support systems, circular economy and sustainability models, consumer behavior analytics, and work process automation. Global regulatory initiatives such as the European AI Act, along with ethical frameworks proposed by international organizations, further emphasize the societal relevance of understanding and mitigating bias in AI-driven processes.

Types of Contributions Welcome

✅ Empirical qualitative and quantitative studies — must be based on international data or multi-country contexts (single-country studies will not be considered)
✅ Systematic or bibliometric literature reviews
✅ Conceptual papers offering exceptionally strong and innovative theoretical insights

❌ Exploratory or narrative metasyntheses will not be accepted

❌ Single-country studies will not be considered

List of Topic Areas

Manuscripts are invited on themes including, but not limited to:

Algorithmic biases in AI systems applied to HR and decision-making processes
Cognitive and behavioral biases of users interacting with AI systems
Governance, ethics, and regulation of AI in organizations
Methodologies for identifying and mitigating socio-technical biases in work processes
Organizational and social impacts of AI on equity, environment, inclusion, and job quality
Automation bias and overconfidence in AI-assisted organizational decision-making
Fairness, transparency, and accountability in AI-enabled business processes
The European AI Act and its implications for organizational AI governance
Human-AI interaction and hybrid forms of bias in organizational contexts
AI adoption in HRM, recruitment, and performance management — bias implications
Socio-technical systems theory and AI co-construction in organizations
AI, work process automation, and future of work challenges

Guest Editors

Dr. Zuzana Virglerova Tomas Bata University in Zlín, Czech Republic 📧 virglerova@utb.cz

Dr. Nicola Capolupo San Raffaele Roma University, Italy 📧 nicola.capolupo@uniroma5.it

Key Deadlines

📅 Manuscript Submission Opens: 1 June 2026

Manuscript Submission Deadline: 31 July 2027

Submission Guidelines

Submissions are made through ScholarOne Manuscripts, the official submission platform of Emerald Publishing. Authors must strictly follow the journal's author guidelines.

When submitting, select "Algorithmic and Behavioral Biases in the Adoption of Artificial Intelligence in Work Processes" from the special issue drop-down menu at the appropriate step in the submission process.

⚠️ Submitted articles must not have been previously published, nor should they be under consideration for publication elsewhere while under review for this journal.

For author guidelines and to submit your manuscript, visit the official Business Process Management Journal page on the Emerald Publishing website and access via ScholarOne Manuscripts.

About the Journal

The Business Process Management Journal (BPMJ), published by Emerald Publishing, is a leading peer-reviewed journal dedicated to advancing research and practice in business process management, organizational design, and process innovation. It provides an international platform for scholars and practitioners exploring how organizations design, manage, and transform their processes in response to technological, social, and strategic challenges.

ServiceSetu Academics — Premier Platform for Academic Opportunities & Research Collaboration

Visit official website of the publisher

DETAILS