Kai Chi Yam
Papers
14
Total Citations
1,039
H-Index
11
About
Kai Chi Yam is a pioneering organizational psychologist whose research sits at the intersection of human-robot interaction, workplace behavior, and the psychological consequences of automation. Based primarily at the National University of Singapore, Yam has established himself as one of the leading voices examining how intelligent machines reshape human cognition, emotion, and organizational dynamics. His most influential work explores how anthropomorphism affects our responses to service robots — finding, notably, that robots perceived as having feelings receive greater forgiveness for mistakes (314 citations) — and demonstrating through multimethod evidence that rising automation fuels job insecurity and maladaptive workplace behaviors (262 citations). His research on the "uncanny valley" (127 citations) and robotic supervisors (85 citations) further reveals the nuanced psychological tensions humans experience when machines take on human-like qualities. What distinguishes Yam's scholarship is its remarkable breadth: he has connected automation to declining religiosity, examined cross-cultural variation in AI acceptance, and applied stakeholder theory to algorithmic systems. With over 1,000 cumulative citations across a relatively compact body of work, Yam's research is rapidly shaping how management scholars, policymakers, and organizations understand the profound human stakes embedded in technological transformation.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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- 3Reducing the uncanny valley by dehumanizing humanoid robots127 citations · 2021
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- 6Adults still can't resist: A social robot can induce normative conformity48 citations · 2021
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- 8Exposure to automation explains religious declines23 citations · 2023
- 9Exposure to robot preachers undermines religious commitment.23 citations · 2023
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