Generative AI and the algorithmic workplace: a bibliometric and conceptual analysis of its impact on organisational decision-making and work design

This study investigates how generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is transforming the architecture of the workplace and reconfiguring managerial agency in contemporary organisations. While prior research has explored task automation and human–machine collaboration, scholarship has under-examined to the broader structural and epistemic implications of GenAI on authority, coordination, and organisational decision-making. To address this gap, a bibliometric and conceptual analysis was conducted on a corpus of 212 Scopus-indexed publications (2018–2025). Using VOSviewer and Bibliometrix, the study maps performance trends, thematic structures, and the conceptual evolution of the field. The findings reveal a dynamic knowledge domain where technical constructs such as large language models and generative adversarial networks intersect with behavioural and managerial concepts including autonomy, coordination, and decision-making. Thematic mapping and co-word analysis uncover six coherent conceptual clusters, while a Sankey diagram of thematic evolution illustrates the convergence of lexical frameworks and the pivotal role of a small group of authors in structuring the discourse. The article advances a conceptual framework of the algorithmic workplace, characterised by hybrid agency, decentralised decision-making, and the erosion of rigid managerial boundaries. It suggests a transition from command-and-control models to guide-and-collaborate paradigms, with GenAI acting as a socio-technical intermediary in decision-support processes. By offering a systematic and theory-informed mapping of the field, the study contributes to emerging scholarship on AI-enabled organisational transformation and outlines future trajectories for research at the intersection of technology, management, and decision systems.