Potential of AI-integrated change management

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master_Warén_Alexander_2025.pdf (951.42 KB)

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School of Business | Master's thesis
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2025-07-29

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Mcode

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Master's programme in People Management and Organizational Development

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en

Pages

79

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Abstract

This study investigates the potential integration of artificial intelligence (AI) within organizational change management frameworks, specifically examining how AI capabilities align with Prosci's ADKAR (Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, Reinforcement) model. Through qualitative research using semi-structured interviews with seven AI and change management professionals in Finland, this study addresses two primary research questions: (1) How can AI be used at different stages of a change management framework? and (2) What are the barriers and challenges involved when using AI in change management? Thematic analysis revealed a clear hierarchy of AI applicability across ADKAR stages, with the Knowledge stage demonstrating optimal integration potential through personalized learning paths and adaptive content delivery, while the Desire stage showed minimal applicability due to AI's inability to provide authentic emotional connection and navigate organizational politics. The findings identify four fundamental barriers constraining AI implementation: emotional intelligence deficits, the privacy-effectiveness paradox, contextual blindness to organizational dynamics, and authenticity barriers in trust-critical contexts. The most significant implication from this study was the emergence of an AI applicability hierarchy based on task emotional complexity, which has previously been an overlooked factor in technology adoption literature. This hierarchy demonstrates that AI effectiveness inversely correlates with the emotional requirements of change management tasks. Additionally, the research introduces the concept of a privacy-effectiveness paradox, revealing how AI's analytical capabilities create fundamental tensions with employee autonomy and workplace dignity.

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Supervisor

Koveshnikov, Alexei

Keywords

artificial intelligence, change management, ADKAR model, human-AI collaboration, organizational transformation, thematic analysis

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https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:aalto-202508146091

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[gradu] Kauppakorkeakoulu / BIZ