PurposeThe purpose of this article is to review literature and thinking about the application of AI in strategic situations and to identify the research that is needed in the area of applying AI to strategic marketing decisions. Design/methodology/approachReview of literature and consultation with marketing experts who were invited to contribute to the article. FindingsThere is little research into applying AI to strategic marketing decision-making. This is needed as the frontier of AI application to decision-making is moving in many management areas from operational to strategic. Given the competitive nature of such decisions and the insights from applying AI to defence and similar areas, it is time to focus on applying AI to strategic marketing decisions.There are strong implications for all businesses, particularly large businesses in competitive industries, where failure to deploy AI in the face of competition from firms who have deployed AI to improve their decisionmaking could be dangerous. Social implicationsThe public sector is a very important marketing decision-maker. Although in most cases it does not operate competitively, it must still make decisions about making different services available to different citizens and identify the risks of not providing services to certain citizens, so this article is relevant to the public sector. Originality/valueThis is one of the first articles to probe deployment of AI in strategic marketing decision-making.
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate information management in a smart city. It identifies the main trends in progress and how innovation in information technology is helping all those in the smart city ecosystem in terms of generating new sources of data and connecting them. It investigates how information management in the smart city may go through several phases, but contests the notion that the co-ordinated information management that is the dream of many city managers is an appropriate vision, given the tendency in the private sector for competing information platforms to develop, giving value in different ways. Design/methodology/approach This paper has been written by using a combination of academic insight and literature, extensive research of relevant grey literature (e.g. blogs and industry press) and interviews and interaction with some of the organisations involved in developing and implementing the smart city concept, including public transport organisations, other data providers, analysts and systems and sensor suppliers. Findings Smart city concepts are evolving in different ways, with divergence of views which involves centralisation and control of information by city authorities and a more democratic view in which the information is managed on different platforms between which smart city stakeholders can choose. Research limitations/implications The research method is exploratory. Validating the findings would require a more structured approach in which stakeholders of all kinds are consulted. Practical implications All organisational stakeholders in the idea and delivery of smart cities need to consider how their interests in smart city information and those of other stakeholders are evolving and to what extent they should be in partnership with other members of the ecosystem in generating and using the information. Social implications Individuals, whether workers, commuters, shoppers, tourists or others, will be greatly affected by the evolution of smart city information, and their choices about whether to be smart themselves will have an important effect on the benefits they receive from city smartening and on the viability of the smart cities. Originality/value Little research has been carried out into the different choices organisations and individuals have in terms of how they will relate to smart city information and how they can manage it. This research makes a start on this task.
Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore the information leaders keep their organisations competitive by determining if their business model is under threat and/or needs changing and whether business model innovation is needed. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a grounded theory approach to probe an area which has been so far researched very little. Findings The paper identifies that while quality of management information affects leaders’ decisions about whether their business model is under threat or needs changing, leaders may or may not choose to use it. Research limitations/implications The research was carried out with large firms in six sectors in the UK. Research in other sectors, in smaller firms and in other countries, should be carried out to test generalisability. Practical implications Although many large firms have made very large investments into areas such as customer insight in the past few years, there may be resistance to using this information even if it indicates that a firm’s current business model is under threat, because of straightforward denial or because of the inertia associated with factors such as difficulties in changing business models or the extent to which the firm’s financial situation is based upon exploiting its current business model, no matter how much that model is under threat from firms with other business models. Therefore, in strategic reviews, firms should factor in these risks and seek to mitigate them. Social implications In public sector organisations, these risks of denial or inertia may be stronger because of conservatism and lack of willingness to take the risks of change, so public sector decision makers need to be particularly aware of these risks and seek to mitigate them. Originality/value The theoretical contribution of this research is to add to business model and strategic management literature by explaining the role that information plays in business model choice and how its role depends on whether and how the information is used by senior management.
The purpose of this paper is to explain the development of ecosystems and platforms to manage customer information, and to identify the management, research and teaching implications of this evolution. Design/methodology/approach This article is based on research and industrial experience of two of the co-authors in customer relationship management, further developed with other co-authors in the field of business models, the research and teaching experience of the university authors, and cross-functional literature reviews in the areas of strategy, marketing, economics, organizational behaviour and information management. Findings The findings of this paper show that digitalization, cloud computing and new information-based platforms are beginning to change how customer information is being managed, creating new opportunities for improving marketing, customer relationship management and business strategy. Research limitations/implications Needs confirmation of views by primary empirical research. Practical implications Identifies the need for senior marketing management to examine closely how internal and external/public customer information platforms may enhance their capability for managing customers and setting new strategic directions. Originality/value Highlights the move to customer information platforms and identifies how senior managers should consider them as an option for better customer information management and as a basis for new business strategies.
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