Kean Associate Professor Spearheading New Research Using AI in Leadership Performance Evaluation

Weichun Zhu, Ph.D., associate professor of management at Kean University, is leading research on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in employee performance evaluation to enhance leadership effectiveness in organizations.  

Zhu’s research aims to integrate advanced AI tools into traditional employees’ performance evaluation systems to help leaders better understand employee needs, workplace dynamics and potential challenges.  

His team is particularly focused on how AI can support leaders in navigating emotionally complex environments and strengthening communication within organizations. 

“We want to study how leaders can utilize AI programs and tools to help them understand their employees and their needs while also identifying potential problems,” Zhu said. “We also are working to help more accurately understand the social and emotional needs of the employee in the AI era.” 

As part of the project, Zhu is collaborating with Fang Liu, a professor at Guangzhou University in China, to examine the impact of AI-driven employee performance evaluations across a range of industries. Together, they will explore how AI tools may reshape leadership roles, improve leader-employee relationships and build greater trust in the workplace. 

The research will involve data collection from multiple sectors, including manufacturing and finance, providing insight into how AI-based employee performance evaluation systems operate in diverse organizational settings. 

“Dr. Zhu’s research represents the kind of innovative thinking that drives progress in leadership and organizational management,” said Jin Wang, Ph.D., dean of Kean’s College of Business and Public Management. “His work has the potential to reshape how leaders understand and support their teams, and we are proud to see Kean scholars contributing to advancements that will influence workplaces around the world.” 

Zhu notes that the study has the potential to transform how organizations view performance evaluation and leadership. He hopes the findings will encourage companies to see AI as a tool that empowers and develops employees rather than one that simply oversees their work. 

The project also reinforces Kean’s growing prominence in AI innovation, highlighted by the launch of New Jersey’s first bachelor’s degree in artificial intelligence earlier this year, a development that aligns with the University’s expanding research agenda and commitment to emerging technologies. 

“With the emergence of AI technology, we are facing a new normal in business,” Zhu added. “This is just the beginning, and the more we implement AI into the workplace, the more it can improve overall leadership and organizational effectiveness.”