While AI is heralded as one of the most transformative technologies, scholars caution that its strategic impact may still not be fully realized. In a recent MIT Sloan Management Review study, Wingate, Burns, and Barney (2025) argue that AI alone cannot offer a sustainable competitive advantage, as the technology can be a source of homogenization. It is essential to find novel and strategic ways to use AI, leveraging human creativity, as enterprises strive to capture enduring value from AI.
We define AI Orientation (AIO) as a firm’s deliberate application of AI technologies to achieve its strategic goals. Given the strategic importance of AI in firms today, it is essential to consider AI as a strategic orientation (Li et.al., 2021) and understand the determinants in detail. Its relevance has surged in addressing operational challenges, prompting a growing number of firms to weave it into their strategies (Wilson & Daugherty, 2018; Accenture Report, 2024). With increasingly capable AI systems, organizations can analyze data and make autonomous decisions effectively (Davenport et al., 2020).
The purpose of this research is to explore the determinants of AI within organizations, focusing on key dimensions of AI that influence their journey. We plan to perform a qualitative analysis for this study, specifically examining the experiential nuances firms encounter as they navigate their AI strategies. This will be achieved through in-depth interviews with senior leaders who influence AI-related decisions, touching on aspects such as leadership influence, AI capability and scalability, enterprise alignment, and AI governance. Additionally, our research will consider how these factors contribute to AI value capture and organizational learning. For a complete list of relevant definitions for this research study, please click below.
We seek interview participation from senior leaders who directly influence AI-related decisions within their organizations. We are particularly interested in your insights regarding the determinants of AI, the impact of leadership influence, AI governance, AI capability & scalability, enterprise alignment, and organizational learning on your firm's AI journey and AI Value Capture.
To qualify, you must meet the following criteria:
You are a senior leader in a US-based public or privately held firm with direct influence on AI-related decisions, including strategy, recommendations, and technical/value/people suggestions related to Strategic AI in your firm.
You have a minimum of 10 years of work experience in the United States.
Your company has at least 100 employees.
Please click the link below, review the information to see if you are comfortable participating, and complete the form so that the researcher can contact you to schedule your interview. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to the researcher at sreelakshmy.geethakumari@umsl.edu.