Help-seeking practices and behaviours in organizations and AI-driven chatbot: a scoping review

We present a scoping review that considers 25 papers and explores the growing phenomenon of the use of chatbots, in the context of help-seeking dynamics among workers facing work-related challenges. This phenomenon is significant from both social and technological perspectives, as it raises essential questions about the evolving role of technology in shaping the way individuals seek help in a changing work environment. Our study aims to examine how technology, such as chatbots, shape employees help-seeking practices and behaviors, using a Socio-Technical System approach (STS). Our analysis reveals that help-seeking comes mainly from the "social subsystem". In fact, it starts with individual needs and willingness to seek help, influenced by personal and group characteristics. The work environment and context also significantly influence employees' help-seeking behaviors. However, technology developments, new ways of work, and organizational transformations are redefining help-seeking processes, requiring the development of new processes, for which leaders play a crucial role. The integration of chatbots into this landscape introduces challenges and opportunities, impacting not only individuals but also organizational structure. Based on the reviewed papers we present directions for future research on AI-driven chatbots and help-seeking.