AI as a strategic leader? On the role of intelligent machines in strategic marketing decisions

In marketing, there is great potential for using AI to better understand, predict and influence customer behavior and shape marketing strategies. Empirical research so far has mostly focused on how AI can be used for relatively narrow tasks on the operational level—for example, integrated in tools as chatbots and product recommendation systems. But as capabilities of smart machines grow, the boundaries of AI in organizational decision-making are said to be shifting from the operational to the strategic level.

There seems to be a consensus in academic research that AI and humans may best work together in cooperative relationships to leverage complementary strengths and weaknesses. However, the question of how human– machine collaboration between marketing managers and intelligent machines in strategic decisionmaking processes can be designed in concrete terms remains largely unanswered. Our research aims to fill this research gap by evaluating the role AI already plays in strategic decision-making today and investigating managers’ future preferences and willingness to use intelligent algorithms to support, augment or automate their strategic decision-making processes.

We used a mixed-methods explanatory sequential design combining a quantitative survey study and qualitative in-depth interviews to first gain a general understanding of the research topic through quantitative data collection and analysis and then, in a second step, to refine and deepen the findings through qualitative data collection and analysis.

Learn more on method and results in the full abstract:
Proceedings 11th International Conference on Contemporary Marketing Issues (ICCMI)