How tech companies advance sustainability through artificial intelligence: Developing and evaluating an AI x Sustainability strategy framework

IF 7.8 1区管理学 Q1 BUSINESS

Industrial Marketing Management Pub Date : 2024-04-17 DOI:10.1016/j.indmarman.2024.03.010

Felix Zechiel , Marah Blaurock , Ellen Weber , Marion Büttgen , Kristof Coussement

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Sustainability is at the top of the agenda of most tech companies. Specifically, tech companies increasingly utilize artificial intelligence (AI) to meet their sustainability goals. However, little is known about how tech companies can leverage AI to accelerate sustainability by formulating and implementing appropriate strategies. To better understand the intertwined nature of AI and sustainability from a strategy perspective, this research conceptually develops a novel AI x Sustainability framework by drawing from the nested sustainability model and integrating insights from different literature streams. It then applies this framework to six leading Big Tech companies (i.e., Amazon, Google, IBM, Meta, Microsoft, and SAP) by conducting a comprehensive document analysis of 69 documents describing 244 individual AI x Sustainability initiatives to reveal whether and how these companies appear to follow specific AI x Sustainability strategies. Lastly, an exploratory survey with potential tech companies' clients (N = 192) sheds light on how clients perceive tech companies' communicated strategic positioning based on the framework. The research provides new theoretical insights, serves as a blueprint for other tech companies, including implications for their AI x Sustainability positioning, and offers a variety of future research directions.

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科技公司如何通过人工智能推进可持续发展：制定和评估人工智能 x 可持续性战略框架

可持续发展是大多数科技公司的首要任务。具体来说，科技公司越来越多地利用人工智能（AI）来实现可持续发展目标。然而，人们对科技公司如何通过制定和实施适当的战略来利用人工智能加速可持续发展却知之甚少。为了从战略角度更好地理解人工智能与可持续发展的相互交织性质，本研究借鉴嵌套式可持续发展模型，整合不同文献流的见解，从概念上建立了一个新颖的人工智能 x 可持续发展框架。然后，本研究将这一框架应用于六家领先的大科技公司（即亚马逊、谷歌、IBM、Meta、微软和 SAP），对描述 244 项人工智能 x 可持续发展举措的 69 份文件进行了全面的文件分析，以揭示这些公司是否以及如何遵循特定的人工智能 x 可持续发展战略。最后，对潜在的科技公司客户（N = 192）进行了一项探索性调查，揭示了客户如何看待科技公司基于该框架所传达的战略定位。这项研究提供了新的理论见解，可作为其他科技公司的蓝图，包括对其人工智能 x 可持续发展定位的影响，并提供了各种未来研究方向。

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来源期刊

Industrial Marketing Management Multiple-

CiteScore

17.30

自引率

20.40%

发文量

255

期刊介绍： Industrial Marketing Management delivers theoretical, empirical, and case-based research tailored to the requirements of marketing scholars and practitioners engaged in industrial and business-to-business markets. With an editorial review board comprising prominent international scholars and practitioners, the journal ensures a harmonious blend of theory and practical applications in all articles. Scholars from North America, Europe, Australia/New Zealand, Asia, and various global regions contribute the latest findings to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of industrial markets. This holistic approach keeps readers informed with the most timely data and contemporary insights essential for informed marketing decisions and strategies in global industrial and business-to-business markets.