AI and emerging technology adoption: a research agenda for operations management

AbstractArtificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a critical engine that powers a range of technology solutions. It is rapidly playing a vital role in supply chain and operations management. In this paper, we present a research agenda of how researchers and practitioners alike can study the potential adoption of AI-powered tools for benefits in the supply chain. We draw on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology and suggest directions for research that leverage a mixed-methods research approach. Because these technologies are in a nascent stage and evolving rapidly, a mixed-methods approach will allow for a careful examination of potential features and how their adoption can be fostered, with specific benefits in mind. We present three-specific research directions rooted in the developmental, completeness, and expansion purposes of mixed-methods research.KEYWORDS: Adoptionartificial intelligenceemerging technologiesoperations managementresearch agenda Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Data availability statementData sharing is not applicable to this article as no data were created or analysed in this study.Additional informationNotes on contributorsViswanath VenkateshViswanath Venkatesh, who completed his PhD at the University of Minnesota, is an Eminent Scholar and Verizon Chair at the Pamplin College of Business, Virginia Tech. Since Fall 2021, he is also the Director of Pamplin’s Executive PhD programme. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential scientists, both in terms of premier journal publications and citation impact (e.g. Clarivate, Thomson Reuters’ highlycited.com, Emerald Citations, SSRN, PloS Biology), with a recent career ranking of 485th (out of ∼9 million scientists in all scientific fields) and 1st in information systems. His 2021 citation impact ranking was 95th (out of ∼9 million scientists in all scientific fields). His research focuses on understanding the diffusion of technologies in organisations and society. His most impactful project focuses on improving the quality of life of the poorest of the poor in India – which he has presented in various forums including at the United Nations. The sponsorship of his research has been about US$10M. His work has appeared in leading journals in human–computer interaction, information systems, organisational behaviour, psychology, marketing, medical informatics, and operations management, and included best paper awards (e.g. Academy of Management Journal). His works have been cited over 160,000 times (Google Scholar) and over 55,000 times (Web of Science), with an h-index of 86 and i-10 index of 142. He developed and maintains an IS research rankings web site that has received many accolades from the academic community including Association for Information Systems’ Technology Legacy Award. He has served in editorial roles in various journals. He is a Fellow of the AIS and the Information Systems Society, INFORMS.Raji RamanRaji Raman is a Professor of Practice in the Department of Business Information Technology. She has masters degrees both in business analytics and computer science. She has over two decades of experience in various leadership and technical roles in the IT and telecommunications industry. Her expertise includes network security, data integrity, customer/business relationship management, analytics, project management, people management and service delivery.Frederico Cruz-JesusFrederico Cruz-Jesus is Assistant Professor, and Coordinator of the Degree in Information Management at the NOVA Information Management School (NOVA IMS), Portugal. His research interests include digital divide, technology adoption and outcomes, and the drivers of education achievement. He has papers published in journals such as Information & Management, Journal of Business Research, Computers in Industry, Transportation Research Part A, Government Information Quarterly, Computers in Human Behavior, Information Technology and People, among others. Additional detail can be found in https://scholar.google.pt/citations?user=S88S3SEAAAAJ&hl.