Tacit Erosion: Does AI-generated Feedback Undermine Critical Feedback Competence & Organisational Innovativeness? A Scoping Review

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.34190/ecmlg.22.1.5108

Keywords:

Artificial intelligence, Feedback, Skill erosion, Human-AI interaction, Leadership, Organisational development

Abstract

As generative AI systems become increasingly embedded in professional work environments, their implications for managerial and organisational feedback practices require closer examination. The technology designed to enhance individual and organisational productivity may be silently eroding a foundation of human development and organisational competitiveness. This paper introduces the concept of “tacit erosion” to describe the gradual and imperceptible weakening of feedback competence (nuclear dimension of critical thinking) that may occur under sustained exposure to AI-generated feedback. Feedback and specifically critical feedback have been linked to leadership development, organisational learning, and innovation capacity. AI-generated feedback is frequently characterised by availability, consistency, diplomatic phrasing, and encouragement-oriented responses. This may reshape expectations regarding the tone, immediacy, and emotional experience of feedback and influence how individuals tolerate criticism, interpret disagreement, and engage in direct interpersonal exchange. The erosion proposed here is labelled "tacit" for two reasons. First, the competence at risk is itself tacit: the ability to deliver, receive, and act upon feedback is practice-based, and relational, thus difficult to systemise. Second, the erosion occurs not through deliberate deskilling but as an unintended byproduct of routine interaction with AI systems. By imperceptibly shaping human critical exchange it makes the erosion of that competence difficult to detect. Following the PRISMA-ScR framework, this scoping review systematically maps literature from Scopus and Web of Science from 2022 to May 2026. It investigates emerging research on the effects of exposure to AI-generated responses and feedback in business environments and integrates four research streams: sycophantic tendencies in large language models (LLM), trust and feedback dynamics in AI-augmented teams, potential deskilling effects of AI use on innovation-related behaviour and risks to independent judgement in management learning contexts. Initial findings suggest contrast effects that make human feedback appear disproportionately harsh, reduced feedback resilience due to lower exposure to interpersonal criticism, and avoidance of direct feedback in managerial and team settings. This review contributes to knowledge management and leadership development research by systematically mapping the current publication landscape, identifying existing research gaps and by conceptualising the tacit erosion of critical feedback capabilities as a potential consequence of AI-augmented work. The review concludes with recommendations for practitioners navigating AI-augmented workplaces.

Author Biographies

Bettina Falckenthal, University of Aveiro

Bettina Falckenthal is a senior executive with over 20 years’ leadership experience. Her work bridges empirical research on modern human resources challenges with applied People & Culture practices during organizational transformation, integrating scientific insight into practical implementation.

Cláudia Figueiredo, University of Aveiro

Cláudia Figueiredo has a PhD in Education (specialization in assessment) from the University of Aveiro and a master's degree in educational sciences from the University of Coimbra. She is a researcher in the domains of Science and Engineering Education and Competency Assessment. She is involved in several research projects, for example, in coordinating the Engineer Curriculum for Society (EC4S), funded by the Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation; in the research team of the European project THEI2.0: Towards HEInnovate2.0: From assessment to action; and in two EIT-funded projects, TANDEM+ Transformation, Acceleration, Networking, Development, Entrepreneurial education and Mentoring+ (EIT Initiative) and Euforia: Education Framework for Urban Resilience Innovation Activities. She has been developing work in the domain of assessment, namely the construction, development and statistical validation procedures of instruments in the areas of education and psychology. Her scientific work has a particular focus on topics such as research methods, survey methodology, scaling procedures, psychometric methods and statistical data analysis. She is a member of the Center for Research in Higher Education Policies (CIPES).

Manuel Au-Yong-Oliveira, University of Aveiro

Manuel Luís Au-Yong Oliveira did his post-doctoral studies at the University of Aveiro (2016-2019) with the title “Elements that contribute to organisational competitiveness"; Manuel has a PhD in Industrial Engineering and Management, from FEUP (University of Porto, 2012; distinction awarded to the thesis), an MBA from Cardiff (Cardiff University is a prestigious, research-focused, Russell Group University in the UK) (distinction awarded to the dissertation) (equivalence given to a Master's in Management by Universidade Católica Portuguesa, in Lisbon), and an undergraduate degree in Management Information Processing, from Universidade Portucalense (1991). Manuel is an Associate Professor with Habilitation (in Management - Marketing - April 2022) at the University of Aveiro (DEGEIT) where he has lectured at the undergraduate, master's and doctoral levels on marketing, innovation, strategy and research methods. Before lecturing full-time at the University of Aveiro Manuel also lectured for a number of years at the University of Porto - FEUP (Business Construction Project, on the Master's in Innovation and Technological Entrepreneurship), where he has also supervised a number of master's dissertations. Manuel is currently a researcher affiliated to GOVCOPP (full researcher) and INESC TEC (collaborator). Previously, Manuel was the Director of the Undergraduate Degree in Management, at the University of Aveiro (14-09-2015 a 7-12-2016). Manuel was the Director of the Master's Degree in Management (2016-2022) at the University of Aveiro, in Portugal. Furthermore, Manuel was a member of the Executive Commission of his department - DEGEIT - University of Aveiro (2014 - 2022). Finally, Manuel coordinates the Commission for Ethics and Social Responsibility at DEGEIT - University of Aveiro (since 2018). Manuel has won numerous awards including an honourable mention in the University of Aveiro Researcher Awards 2022 - for the area of Social Sciences.

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Published

2026-10-26

Issue

Vol. 22 No. 1 (2026): The Proceedings of the 22nd European Conference on Management Leadership and Governance (ECMLG 2026)

Section

Academic Papers