Strategic leadership and technological adaptation in turbulence environment: Enhancing organizational resilience through AI orientation and IT resource diversity
Project Description
In today's rapidly advancing technological landscape and increasingly unpredictable markets, companies are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and a diverse array of technologies to fortify their strategies and enhance resilience. This project seeks to elucidate how the characteristics of top management, a focus on AI, and a variety of IT tools contribute to organisational strength, particularly during major market disruptions.
The study investigates how executives and board members influence a company’s AI focus and how this focus, in turn, bolsters resilience. By analysing data from publicly listed companies in China, the research examines the impact of board members’ education, research and development (R&D) experience, and AI expertise on the effectiveness of Chief Information Officers (CIOs) in driving AI initiatives. Furthermore, it explores how AI innovation affects a company’s resilience based on its industry position and network connections.
Moreover, the project delves into the role of a diverse range of IT tools in a company’s ability to withstand significant shocks. It assesses how the authority of IT leaders and the diversity of IT tools collectively influence resilience, and how industry turbulence during crises modifies these relationships.
Preliminary findings indicate that the presence of a CIO positively impacts a company’s AI focus, with this effect being amplified by board members’ diverse educational backgrounds, R&D experience, and AI knowledge. The impact of AI innovation on resilience is more pronounced for companies with strong industry connections but is diminished for those with network gaps. The research also reveals that a diverse range of IT tools has a nuanced effect on resilience, with the most significant benefits observed during major disruptions.
This project enriches our understanding of how top management and boards can effectively develop AI and IT strategies to enhance organisational resilience. The findings offer valuable insights for building strategic leadership and technological capabilities, enabling companies to navigate and thrive in turbulent market environments.
Project Investigator
Dr LI Mengxiang (Department of Management, Marketing and Information Systems)
Publication
Li, Jingyu; Li, Mengxiang; Wang, Xincheng; and Thatcher, Jason B.. 2021. "Strategic Directions for AI: The Role of CIOs and Boards of Directors," MIS Quarterly, (45: 3) pp.1603-1644. https://aisel.aisnet.org/misq/vol45/iss3/23/
