| Keywords [eng] |
Artificial Intelligence (AI), AI tool usability (AITU), organizational readiness (OR), technological infrastructure (TI), employee AI literacy (EAL), business development outcomes (BDO), machine learning (ML), natural language processing (NLP). |
| Abstract [eng] |
The master’s thesis examines the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to optimize business development, particularly focusing on an existing research gap analyzing the exact AI tools linked to quantifiable advancements in business, and the organizational and technological variables that drive their successful integration. The first section of the study reviews the impact and functions of AI in the frameworks of business development focusing on, how companies carry out and understand their market and customer base, the functions of predictive analysis and data mining, the processes of lead generation and scoring, the functions of integrated automated marketing, sales and competitive analysis. A conceptual model illustrates how the core business pains can be addressed through the application of the categorized AI tools and business development activities, resulting in the achievement of a sustainable competitive advantage. At the level of empirical research, AI was found to reach measurable outcomes across all sectors, including an increase in sales of up to 20%, a reduction in operating costs of 15-25%, and an increase of customer acquisition and retention by 30%. The study proposes a model characterized by five components: AI Tool Usability (AITU), Organizational Readiness (OR), Technological Infrastructure (TI), Employee AI Literacy (EAL), and Business Development Outcomes (BDO), as well as hypothesized relationships. A quantitative survey was delivered to 184 professionals in Finance, IT, Consulting, and Retail/E-Commerce in India and Europe (mostly Lithuania). The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 27.0. The four hypotheses received support. AI Tool Usability was a stronger direct predictor of Business Development Outcomes (β = .684, R² = .464, p < .001). Organizational Readiness was a significant positive moderator of this relationship, with an interaction effect (β = .198, p = .001). This affirmed that leadership and culturally AI-aligned advocacy significantly increased the benefits from the use of AI tools. The positive influence of the Technological Infrastructure on AI Tool Usability (β = .573) and Business Development Outcomes (β = .421) was realized through two different effects. Employee AI Literacy was a positive indirect effect of Organizational Readiness on AI Tool Usability, measured at (indirect β = .327, 95% CI [.207, .447]), and was the key moderator through which organizational strategy was operationalized as organizational tool-use and competency building. The study established that successful AI adoption to enhance business development outcomes is a function of the combined outcomes of usability, readiness, infrastructure, and human literacy. Organizations that tool up with user-centered technology, adopt leadership, and IT infrastructures, and design AI training programs are most likely to obtain sustainable AI-enabled business development outcomes. |
