Collective Perceptions Matter: How Team Alignment on Perceived AI Usefulness and Ease of Use Impacts Self-Efficacy and Task Proficiency

This study investigates how alignment between team-level perceptions of AI usefulness and ease of use shapes collective outcomes. Drawing on social cognitive theory and the technology acceptance model, we theorize that perceptual congruence enhances group AI self-efficacy, which in turn promotes group task proficiency. We tested this framework using time-lagged survey data from 318 employees nested within 107 teams in South Korean police organizations, where AI adoption was mandated. Polynomial regression and response surface methodology revealed that congruence between perceived usefulness and ease of use was associated with higher group AI self-efficacy than misalignment, with effects strongest under high–high alignment. We also found asymmetric misalignment effects: self-efficacy declined more steeply when usefulness exceeded ease of use than the reverse. Mediation analyses confirmed group AI self-efficacy as the mechanism linking perceptual alignment to task proficiency. These findings highlight the importance of shared perceptions for effective AI integration in team settings.