MMTC member Einav Perez-Andersson successfully defends PhD on AI and organizational transformation
Einav’s dissertation, “Transform or be transformed: AI is here! – A study of AI’s role in Organizational TransformAItion”, examines artificial intelligence (AI) as a general purpose technology—a class of technologies that fundamentally reshape industries, organizations, and societies. Rather than treating AI as a standalone technological tool, the thesis positions AI as a powerful driver of organizational transformation, influencing products, services, business models, innovation processes, and organizational ecosystems.
Understanding AI Transformation across sectors
The dissertation explores AI Transformation (AIT) through four interconnected studies that together provide a comprehensive picture of how organizations adopt, implement, and derive value from AI.
The first study offers a systematic mapping of the existing AIT literature, identifying key themes, concepts, and research gaps. This mapping highlights AI’s role in reshaping organizational structures, processes, and strategies, and establishes a foundation for understanding the complexity of AI-driven transformation.
The second study focuses on the public sector, examining barriers that hinder value realization from AI. Based on an in-depth case study of a medium-sized Swedish municipality, the research identifies challenges such as fragmented organizational structures, limited resources, and weak strategic alignment. The study introduces a new AIT framework tailored to public-sector digitalization, showing that while AI can enhance efficiency and innovation, significant organizational barriers must be addressed for long-term value creation.
The third study shifts attention to the private sector, specifically manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Drawing on Resource Orchestration theory and multiple case studies of Swedish manufacturing SMEs, the research analyzes how organizations acquire, accumulate, and bundle AI-related resources. The findings show that SMEs develop portfolios of AI resources that are transformed into learning and governance capabilities, enabling them to integrate AI into operations through a dynamic process involving technology, processes, and skilled employees.
The fourth study investigates the relationship between AI maturity and organizational performance. Using survey data from 246 established Swedish manufacturing SMEs, the study demonstrates that higher levels of AI maturity are associated with improved financial outcomes, such as profit and revenue. At the same time, the results highlight that these effects are shaped by a combination of technological, operational, and financial conditions, underscoring the multifaceted nature of AI adoption.
Key contributions
Overall, the dissertation makes several important contributions to AIT research. It advances understanding of AI transformation across both public and private sectors, highlights shared challenges related to leadership, culture, and infrastructure, and demonstrates that successful AI transformation requires more than technological implementation alone.
A central conclusion of the thesis is that the key challenge for organizations is not whether to adopt AI, but how to prepare structurally, strategically, and culturally to support sustainable transformation. This insight closely aligns with MMTC’s research focus on digital transformation and the interplay between technology, management, and societal change.
Acknowledgements
The faculty examiner/opponent was Professor Ulf Melin (Linköping University).
Members of the examining committee were Professor Ioanna Constantiou (Copenhagen Business School), Professor Anette Hallin (Mälardalen University), and Associate Professor Sujith Nair (BI Norwegian Business School).
Reserve committee member: Professor Karin Hellerstedt (JIBS).
Chair of the defence: Professor Timur Uman (JIBS).
Principal supervisor: Associate Professor Anders Melander (JIBS).
Deputy supervisor: Assistant Professor Carla Gonçalves Machado (JIBS).
MMTC warmly congratulates Einav Perez-Andersson on this achievement and wishes her every success in the next chapter of her academic and professional career.
