Exploring Organisational Readiness to Adopt Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Business Practices : A Qualitative Study on SMEs

Sammanfattning

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore how organisational readiness affects the implementation of AI technology to support sustainable business practices in Swedish smalland medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating internationally. Employing socio-technical systems (STS) theory, the study looks into social, technical, and external environmental factors that affect organisational readiness to adopt AI for sustainable business practices. Method: The method applied in this research includes an explorative qualitative approach based on STS theory. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with top management of internationally operating Swedish SMEs under various industries, namely manufacturing, tech, space, tourism, mining, agriculture, and consultancy sectors. Collected data was analysed using the six-stage thematic analysis method proposed by Braun and Clarke. Findings: Based on thematic analysis, five main themes related to the impact of organisational readiness on AI adoption were identified: Social System Readiness; Technical System Readiness; External Pressure Factors and Institutional Influences; AI Implementation and Sustainability Relationship; and Organisational Readiness Outcomes and Adopted Solutions. Managerial support, AI knowledge, organisational culture, and personnel skills were seen associal readiness factors, while digital technology infrastructure, data quality, and integration capabilities formed the basis of technical readiness. Furthermore, regulatory requirements, customer expectations, and international market pressures significantly shape organisational readiness toward AI adoption for sustainable business practices. Theoretical and practical contributions: The present study adds to existing literature by adopting an approach that brings together AI adoption, sustainability, and organisational readiness from a socio-technical systems theory perspective within the SME context. From the practical viewpoint, the research findings provide valuable inputs for SME managers and policy makers in relation to the organisational competencies needed for implementing AI-led sustainability strategies, including commitment from leaders, employee preparedness, and building of IT infrastructure.