Purpose: This research examines how cultural factors act as both enablers and barriers in the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) for strategic marketing decision-making, shaping the journey from organizational resistance to transformative integration. Method/approach: Drawing from secondary qualitative data and thematic approach to analysis, the study verifies how organizational culture characteristics such as innovation, risk-openness, collaboration, and flexibility align with an organization's preparedness for change in determining adoption outcomes. Results: The research demonstrates that enablers of culture promote the uptake, but the blockers are driven by hierarchical working cultures, the needs of the labour market, and low technical capability. Change readiness has emerged as a key driver to bridge this gap by converting cultural advantage into adoption. The discourse is within Schein's Organizational Culture Theory and Rogers' Diffusion of Innovation, both of which combined provide the frame of reference required in examining the Saudi case. Other larger projects like those undertaken by SDAIA and HUMAIN under Vision 2030 suggest the context within which such processes occur. Conclusions: This research contributes to the literature by taking the use of culture and readiness models for AI adoption further into the Middle Eastern setting and offering practical insights for marketing managers to roll out AI more organically.
Ghamdi et al. (Mon,) studied this question.