Title: Attributing responsibility in AI-assisted supply chain management decisions: the impact of outcomes on locus of control

Authors: Alessia Dorigoni

Addresses: Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University of Chieti, Via Luigi Polacchi, 11, 66100 Chieti CH, Italy

Abstract: This study examines responsibility attribution in AI-assisted decision-making in supply chain management, focusing on how decision outcomes (success or failure) influence perceptions of accountability between the AI system and the human manager. Using a between-subjects experimental design, 160 participants evaluated AI-assisted decision scenarios with positive or negative outcomes. Specifically, participants were asked to assign the responsibility for the outcome achieved by the firm to both the AI and the manager. The study shows an outcome-based asymmetry in responsibility attribution: success is attributed to AI, while failure is blamed on the manager, suggesting managerial oversight could mitigate AI errors. These findings emphasise the need for transparent, accountable AI systems in organisations to balance human oversight and responsibility and they provide valuable educational insights for managers, equipping them with a deeper understanding of the risks and responsibilities involved when leveraging AI in supply chain management.

Keywords: artificial intelligence; decision-making; accountability; educational insights.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIOME.2025.148347

International Journal of Information and Operations Management Education, 2025 Vol.8 No.1, pp.1 - 19

Received: 07 Oct 2024
Accepted: 11 Dec 2024
Published online: 02 Sep 2025 *

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