Organizational implications of AI adoption - A multiple-case study on System integrators

Abstract: Digitalization is impacting and transforming businesses. Consequently, companies must take the opportunities coming from the diverse technologies available on the market and be ready to seize and manage them. One technology which is perceived to disrupt into businesses, claiming for adaptation, is Artificial Intelligence. This technology, being characterized by both technical and business knowledge need, is expected to increase the complexity of the decision to Make or Buy it, requiring for more collaborations, and to cause changes in the organizational design, requiring more cooperation and team working. Moreover, AI is expected to eliminate certain tasks but, at the same time create new jobs, revolutionizing the job market and the entire ecosystem. In this context, System integrator companies are playing a big role, being the first actors dealing with the technology and contributing to the AI diffusion. The research in the area as so far concentrated on the technicalities of the technology, so the purpose of this thesis is to focus on the organizational aspects taking the perspective of System integrators, to ultimately provide useful insights to companies willing to introduce AI to build AI solutions. The results of the thesis show that, as it frequently happens for new technologies, the AI impact on organizations is overestimated and the implications brought by the AI introduction are being faced incrementally and gradually by companies. Therefore, more evident implications of AI adoption will be observed only in the future years, in a more mature stage. However, the study highlighted some insight factors already observable, which can give a contribute to companies willing to introduce AI in the future. The main highlights of the research are that to effectively carry on their operations and implement they strategies, System integrators have to adapt the internal organizational setting by introducing appropriate changes in organizational structure, skills and culture, coordinating those activities with the readiness of markets and favouring type of settings which allows for collaboration.