AI Adoption Requires Changing Organisational Culture, Not Just Tools
The success of artificial intelligence (AI) adoption in companies depends on work culture and management, not only on the chosen technology. In a study, executives admit losses from initiatives that could have been halted sooner.
For organisations introducing artificial intelligence (AI) at work, workplace culture and management style are becoming more important than the technology itself. This is the view set out in a commentary published by the Latvian business daily Dienas Bizness, which looks at how employees feel about using AI and how managers respond.
From choosing a tool to organising work
Conversations about AI in companies often begin with which tool to pick and how to deploy it. But buying the best available technology does not guarantee real value. Change happens when people change how they make decisions, learn, collaborate, share knowledge and react to mistakes.
A confidence gap alongside the skills gap
Adopting AI means employees must learn new things. Some are unsure how to use the technology correctly, and others fear it will make their work less valuable. Still others already use AI but keep quiet, because they do not know whether the organisation will see this as an advantage or a risk.
As a result, a confidence gap forms alongside the skills gap. If employees are unsure how a manager will judge experimentation, AI-assisted work or errors, they may stick to familiar methods. A single training course is not enough to fix this.
What the research shows
A 2026 study by Emergn, "The Value Gap", surveyed 700 senior executives in the United States and the United Kingdom. It indicates that, on average, 2.4% of annual revenue is lost on transformation and AI initiatives that could have been stopped earlier. Only 30% of executives say that halting ineffective initiatives is normal practice in their organisation.
The role of managers
Managers need to explain not only which tools to use, but also for what purpose, how to assess results and where human responsibility remains. It is also important that managers are ready to learn and to admit they do not have every answer.
The author argues that as AI tools become more widely available, long-term competitive advantage will come not from the technology but from how organisations use it: by rethinking how work is organised, cutting unnecessary steps, giving employees more responsibility and learning from experience. That requires an environment where people dare to try new approaches, share knowledge and question established habits.
