AI Empowerment in Individual Managerial B2B Decision-Making

: Understanding the role of AI within B2B Managerial Decision-Making

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in
business-to-business (B2B) decision-making. Currently, there is an urgent need
for understanding the role of AI in B2B decision-making, considering the rapid
advancements in AI technology and its implications for organizational
performance. This study employs a qualitative research strategy where B2B
managers participate as respondents in semi-structured interviews. Thematic
analysis serves as the chosen method for analyzing the collected data in this study.
Findings highlight that the individual manager makes sense of AI as a technology
where they cannot solely rely on. The role of AI varies across different types of
decision-making. In operational and tactical decisions AI adopts the role of a
navigator, assisting the manager with preliminary tasks leading up to
decision-making. Due to the complex nature of strategic decisions, AI takes the
role of an enabler here; AI assistance is more limited within this type of
decision-making. The conclusions emphasize managerial implications that aim

Date of Award	2024-Jun
Original language	English
Supervisor	Jens Hultman (Supervisor) & Özgün Imre (Examiner)