Muba ik, Mobasha ; Maciukai e-Z iniene, Saule; Muba ak, Muhammad Fa az;
Ghobakhloo, Mo eza; Pilko a, Anna
A icle
S a egic and o ganisa ional ac o s o ad ancing
knowledge in in elligen au oma ion
Jou nal o Inno a ion & Knowledge (JIK)
P o ided in Coope a ion wi h:
Else ie
Sugges ed Ci a ion: Muba ik, Mobasha ; Maciukai e-Z iniene, Saule; Muba ak, Muhammad Fa az;
Ghobakhloo, Mo eza; Pilko a, Anna (2025) : S a egic and o ganisa ional ac o s o ad ancing
knowledge in in elligen au oma ion, Jou nal o Inno a ion & Knowledge (JIK), ISSN 2444-569X,
Else ie , Ams e dam, Vol. 10, Iss. 2, pp. 1-10,
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S a egic and o ganisa ional ac o s o ad ancing knowledge in
in elligen au oma ion
Mobasha Muba ik
*,a,d
, Saule Maciukai e-Z iniene
a
, Muhammad Fa az Muba ak
b
,
Mo eza Ghobakhloo
b,e
, Anna Pilko a
c
a
Vilnius Uni e si y Business School, Vilnius Uni e si y, Vilnius, Li huania
b
Facul y o Compu e Science, Dalhousie Uni e si y, Hali ax, No a Sco ia, Canada
c
Facul y o Managemen , Comenius Uni e si y B a isla a, Slo akia
d
Facul y o Managemen S udies, Bah ia Uni e si y - Ka achi Campus, Ka achi, Pakis an
e
Indus ial enginee ing and managemen di ision, Upsala Uni e si y, Upsala, Sweden
ARTICLE INFO
JEL Codes:
O30
032
036
Keywo ds:
In elligen au oma ion
Digi al ans o ma ion
Digi aliza ion compe encies
Abso p i e capaci y
P ocess au oma ion
ABSTRACT
This s udy explo es he de e minan s o in elligen au oma ion implemen a ion wi hin o ganisa ions and hei
implica ions o s a egic alue and echnological adop ion. G ounded in di usion o inno a ion heo y, his
s udy examines how digi al compe encies, echnology abso p i e capaci y, and s a egic alue in luence he
adop ion o in elligen au oma ion. Using a quan i a i e app oach, he indings e eal ha digi al compe encies
do no di ec ly impac in elligen au oma ion implemen a ion, bu exe an indi ec in luence h ough echnology
abso p i e capaci y and s a egic alue. Technology abso p i e capaci y eme ges as a c i ical enable acili a ing
he assimila ion and applica ion o he ex e nal knowledge necessa y o in elligen au oma ion in eg a ion,
whe eas s a egic alue plays a signi ican ole in aligning in elligen au oma ion adop ion wi h o ganisa ional
goals. These esul s emphasise he impo ance o abso p i e and s a egic capaci ies in b idging he gap be ween
digi al eadiness and in elligen au oma ion. This s udy highligh s ha success ul in elligen au oma ion adop-
ion equi es a mul i ace ed app oach ha in eg a es echnological, o ganisa ional, and s a egic conside a ions.
Al hough in elligen au oma ion o e s subs an ial po en ial o imp o e ope a ional e iciency and compe i-
i eness, i s adop ion emains esou ce-in ensi e, necessi a ing in es men s in digi al capabili ies, aining, and
s akeholde engagemen . This esea ch also unde sco es he need o a human-cen ic app oach o add ess
employee conce ns and align in elligen au oma ion wi h b oade o ganisa ional s a egies. This s udy con ib-
u es o he li e a u e on digi al ans o ma ion and au oma ion by p o iding empi ical e idence o he de-
e minan s o in elligen au oma ion implemen a ion and hei in e play. These indings o e insigh s o
manage s, policymake s, and esea che s and pa e he way o mo e e ec i e and sus ainable adop ion s a egies
o in elligen au oma ion. Fu u e esea ch should explo e addi ional ac o s ha in luence he adop ion o
in elligen au oma ion ac oss di e se sec o s and o ganisa ional con ex s.
In oduc ion
The ad en o he Fou h Indus ial Re olu ion, cha ac e ised by he
usion o digi al, physical, and biological sys ems, has p o oundly
ans o med he landscape o mode n business. Among he mos sig-
ni ican de elopmen s in his e a is he eme gence o in elligen au o-
ma ion, a echnology ha in eg a es a i icial in elligence (AI), obo ic
p ocess au oma ion (RPA), and business p ocess managemen (BPM) o
au oma e complex asks in he exclusi e domain o human wo ke s
(Ghobakhloo e al., 2023). In elligen au oma ion ep esen s a pa adigm
shi in ope a ional e iciency, allowing o ganisa ions o s eamline
p ocesses, educe cos s, and enhance decision-making capabili ies by
simula ing human in elligence and enabling sys ems o lea n, adap , and
make au onomous decisions (Zhang e al., 2023). As o ganisa ions ace
he challenges and oppo uni ies o he new echnological on ie , he
implemen a ion o in elligen au oma ion has become bo h a s a egic
p io i y and a necessi y o main ain a compe i i e ad an age in an e e
mo e digi al wo ld.
* Co esponding au ho .
E-mail add ess: [email p o ec ed] (M. Muba ik).
Con en s lis s a ailable a ScienceDi ec
Jou nal o Inno a ion & Knowledge
jou nal homepage: www.else ie .com/loca e/jik
h ps://doi.o g/10.1016/j.jik.2025.100675
Recei ed 13 Oc obe 2024; Accep ed 12 Feb ua y 2025
Jou nal o Inno a ion & Knowledge 10 (2025) 100675
A ailable online 22 Feb ua y 2025
2444-569X/© 2025 The Au ho s. Published by Else ie España, S.L.U. on behal o Jou nal o Inno a ion & Knowledge. This is an open access a icle unde he CC
BY-NC-ND license ( h p://c ea i ecommons.o g/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ ).
The d i e o implemen in elligen au oma ion o igina es om he
need o uphold ope a ional e iciency and accomplish s a egic goals in
ola ile ma ke condi ions. In elligen au oma ion p o ides a ange o
ad an ages ha go beyond au oma ion alone; i allows o ganisa ions o
shi human esou ces om mundane asks o c i ical ac i i ies ha
s imula e inno a ion and g ow h (Schwa z, 2022). By enhancing he
accu acy and speed o decision-making p ocesses, in elligen au oma-
ion con ibu es o signi ican imp o emen s in p oduc i i y and o e all
business pe o mance (Singh, 2021). Ne e heless, despi e i s clea ad-
an ages, e ec i ely inco po a ing in elligen au oma ion in o cu en
business models is a mul i ace ed unde aking ha necessi a es ech-
nological knowledge and he es ablishmen o esilien o ganisa ional
abili ies. These compe encies a e essen ial o o e coming he chal-
lenges associa ed wi h in elligen au oma ion implemen a ion,
including issues ela ed o sys em in eg a ion, da a secu i y, and he
managemen o human-au oma ion in e ac ion.
In his con ex , he o ganisa ional aspec s o i s implemen a ion
emain unde explo ed in academic li e a u e. Much o he exis ing
esea ch ocused on echnological ad ancemen s ha unde pin in elli-
gen au oma ion, such as de elopmen s in machine lea ning, deep
lea ning, and na u al language p ocessing (Lee & Lee, 2023). While
hese s udies signi ican ly ad anced ou unde s anding o he echnical
capabili ies o in elligen au oma ion, hey o en o e look he c i ical
ole o o ganisa ional and manage ial ac o s in acili a ing in elligen
au oma ion adop ion. This o e sigh has c ea ed a signi ican gap in he
li e a u e, pa icula ly ega ding how o ganisa ions can e ec i ely
le e age in elligen au oma ion o achie e hei s a egic goals. One a ea
ha equi es u he in es iga ion is he ole o digi alisa ion com-
pe encies— he echnical skills and o ganisa ional knowledge necessa y
o in eg a ing digi al echnologies in o business p ocesses (Wang,
2022). Digi alisa ion compe encies a e c ucial o ensu ing ha in elli-
gen au oma ion implemen a ion is no only echnically easible, bu
also s a egically aligned wi h he o ganisa ion’s b oade objec i es.
Ano he c i ical, ye unde explo ed ac o in in elligen au oma ion
implemen a ion is echnology-abso p i e capaci y. Technology abso p-
i e capaci y e e s o an o ganisa ion’s abili y o ecognise he alue o
new ex e nal knowledge, assimila e i , and apply i comme cially
(Cohen & Le in hal, 1990). Technology abso p i e capaci y is pa icu-
la ly ele an in he con ex o in elligen au oma ion because i de-
e mines how e ec i ely an o ganisa ion can in eg a e and le e age new
au oma ion echnologies o enhance i s capabili ies (Mahmood &
Muba ik, 2020). O ganisa ions wi h high echnological abso p i e ca-
paci y a e be e posi ioned o con inuously inno a e by inco po a ing
ex e nal knowledge in o hei exis ing p ocesses, he eby maximising
he po en ial bene i s o in elligen au oma ion (Ga cía-Mo ales e al.,
2020). Howe e , he speci ic impac o echnology abso p i e capaci y
on in elligen au oma ion implemen a ion has no been su icien ly
explo ed, lea ing a c i ical gap in ou unde s anding o he mechanisms
ha enable success ul digi al ans o ma ions. This s udy add esses his
gap by examining how echnology abso p i e capaci y acili a es he
ela ionship be ween digi alisa ion compe encies and in elligen au o-
ma ion implemen a ion, he eby p o iding a mo e comp ehensi e un-
de s anding o he ac o s ha d i e success ul in elligen au oma ion
adop ion.
The s a egic alue o in elligen au oma ion, including bene i s such
as imp o ed p oduc i i y, scalabili y, and enhanced cus ome engage-
men , is ano he key d i e o in elligen au oma ion adop ion. In elli-
gen au oma ion can p o ide compe i i e ad an ages by imp o ing
o ganisa ional e iciency and esponsi eness o ma ke changes
(Ransbo ham e al., 2022). Howe e , he ex en o which o ganisa ions
pe cei e and ealise hese s a egic bene i s can a y depending on hei
exis ing capabili ies and s a egic p io i ies. Despi e he ecognised
impo ance o s a egic alue in d i ing echnology adop ion, empi ical
esea ch examining how hese pe cep ions in luence in elligen au o-
ma ion implemen a ion is lacking. Add essing his aspec is essen ial o
comp ehending he mo i a ional ac o s ha p omp o ganisa ions o
in es in in elligen au oma ion echnologies and o o mula ing ac ics
o op imise he e u n on hese in es men s.
The heo e ical ounda ion o his s udy is di usion o inno a ion
heo y, which p o ides a obus amewo k o unde s anding how new
echnologies a e adop ed and di used wi hin an o ganisa ion. The
di usion o inno a ion heo y posi s ha he adop ion o inno a ion is
in luenced by se e al ac o s, including he pe cei ed a ibu es o he
inno a ion, cha ac e is ics o he social sys em, and communica ion
channels used o dissemina e in o ma ion abou he inno a ion (Roge s,
2003). In he con ex o in elligen au oma ion, he di usion o inno-
a ion heo y can cla i y he ac o s ha a ec he a e and ex en o
in elligen au oma ion adop ion wi hin o ganisa ions. By in eg a ing he
di usion o inno a ion heo y wi h he concep s o digi alisa ion com-
pe encies, echnology abso p i e capaci y, and s a egic alue, his
s udy de elops a comp ehensi e model o in elligen au oma ion
adop ion and implemen a ion, o e ing a holis ic iew o he ac o s ha
in luence he o ganisa ional adop ion o hese ans o ma i e echnol-
ogies. This s udy add esses he ollowing esea ch ques ions.
I. How do digi alisa ion compe encies a ec he implemen a ion o
in elligen au oma ion?
II. How does echnology abso p i e capaci y acili a e he imple-
men a ion o in elligen au oma ion?
III. How does he s a egic alue o in elligen au oma ion in luence
i s adop ion and in eg a ion in o o ganisa ional p ocesses?
In an e a in which digi al ans o ma ion is becoming inc easingly
c i ical o o ganisa ional su i al and success, unde s anding he ac-
o s in luencing in elligen au oma ion adop ion is essen ial. The e o e,
his s udy may ha e p ac ical implica ions o manage s and policy-
make s by o e ing a deepe unde s anding o he o ganisa ional capa-
bili ies equi ed o success ul in elligen au oma ion implemen a ion.
Li e a u e e iew
In elligen au oma ion: an e olu iona y leap in p ocess au oma ion
In elligen au oma ion has eme ged as a pi o al echnological
ad ancemen in he digi al ans o ma ion landscape and ep esen s a
signi ican e olu ion om adi ional au oma ion echnologies. O en
e e ed o as cogni i e au oma ion, in elligen au oma ion in eg a es
a i icial in elligence (AI), business p ocess managemen (BPM), and
obo ic p ocess au oma ion (RPA) o au oma e, s eamline, and scale
business p ocesses in a manne ha ex ends beyond me e ask au o-
ma ion (Ghobakhloo e al., 2023). The unique capabili y o in elligen
au oma ion o simula e human decision-making and au onomously
manage complex wo k low posi ions is a ans o ma i e o ce in he
mode n business en i onmen (Zhang e al., 2023).
Unlike con en ional p ocess au oma ion, which concen a es on
au oma ing disc e e, epe i i e asks, in elligen au oma ion add esses
he en i e wo k low li ecycle, om da a acquisi ion o decision making
and execu ion. This holis ic app oach allows o ganisa ions o no only
inc ease ope a ional e iciency, bu also enhance he accu acy and
consis ency o business p ocesses (Lee & Lee, 2023). The in eg a ion o
AI wi hin in elligen au oma ion amewo ks enables sys ems o analyse
la ge olumes o s uc u ed and uns uc u ed da a, gene a e insigh s,
and make eal- ime da a-d i en decisions. This cogni i e capabili y
dis inguishes in elligen au oma ion om ea lie au oma ion echnolo-
gies, and makes i pa icula ly aluable in oday’s as -paced, da a- ich
business en i onmen s (Schwa z, 2022).
In elligen au oma ion adop ion is o en ega ded as a pi o al mo e
in a aining hype au oma ion, a comp ehensi e app oach ha employs
di e se echnologies such as digi al wins and ad anced analy ics o
au oma e nea ly all ope a ional ace s o an o ganisa ion (Ransbo ham
e al., 2022). Howe e , i is impo an o no e ha in elligen au oma ion
is no synonymous wi h hype au oma ion; a he , i is a ounda ional
M. Muba ik e al.
Jou nal o Inno a ion & Knowledge 10 (2025) 100675
2
elemen ha o ganisa ions can build upon as hey mo e owa ds mo e
comp ehensi e au oma ion s a egies (Wang, 2022). In elligen au o-
ma ion se es as an in e media y phase whe e businesses ansi ion
om adi ional p ocess au oma ion o mo e ad anced in eg a ed sys-
ems capable o handling complex and dynamic business p ocesses.
One o he mos signi ican ad an ages o in elligen au oma ion is i s
abili y o enhance o ganisa ional agili y and esilience (Muba ik e al.,
2022). By implemen ing in elligen au oma ion, o ganisa ions can
au oma e decision-making p ocesses and espond o business dis up-
ions in eal- ime, allowing hem o p oac i ely add ess challenges and
capi alise on oppo uni ies as hey a ise (Singh, 2021). Fo example,
du ing he COVID-19 pandemic, many o ganisa ions le e aged in elli-
gen au oma ion o adap o sudden shi s in ma ke demand and
wo k o ce a ailabili y, he eby main aining con inui y and compe i-
i eness in he ace o unp eceden ed challenges (Zhang e al., 2023).
This abili y o espond apidly o ex e nal changes is c i ical in oday’s
ola ile business en i onmen , whe e he speed and accu acy o
decision-making can de e mine an o ganisa ion’s success o ailu e.
Mo eo e , in elligen au oma ion con ibu es o signi ican cos
sa ings by educing eliance on human labou o ou ine asks, he eby
eeing up esou ces o s a egic ini ia i es. This bo h imp o es p o-
duc i i y and enhances he quali y o ou pu s by minimising human
e o s and ensu ing consis ency ac oss p ocesses (Schwa z, 2022). The
in eg a ion o BPM and RPA wi hin in elligen au oma ion amewo ks
u he ampli ies hese bene i s by op imising p ocess wo k lows and
au oma ing back-o ice unc ions such as accoun ing and cus ome se -
ice, which a e adi ionally esou ce-in ensi e (Huang e al., 2022).
Despi e i s nume ous ad an ages, he implemen a ion o in elligen
au oma ion emains challenging. The in eg a ion o ad anced echnol-
ogies, such as AI, BPM, and RPA, equi es a high le el o echnical
expe ise and o ganisa ional eadiness. Fac o s such as IT in as uc u e,
managemen suppo , and egula o y compliance a e c ucial in de e -
mining he success o in elligen au oma ion implemen a ion (Cohen &
Le in hal, 1990). Addi ionally, he complexi y o in elligen au oma ion
sys ems can signi ican ly dis up he adop ion phase, pa icula ly i he
o ganisa ion lacks he necessa y digi al compe encies and abso p i e
capaci y o e ec i ely in eg a e hese echnologies in o exis ing wo k-
lows (Ga cía-Mo ales e al., 2020).
Fu he mo e, he adop ion o in elligen au oma ion aises impo an
e hical and social conside a ions, pa icula ly ega ding i s impac on
wo k o ce. Al hough in elligen au oma ion can augmen human capa-
bili ies and imp o e p oduc i i y, i also b ings he isk job displacemen
and inc eased income inequali y i hese echnologies a e no imple-
men ed wi h ca e ul conside a ion o hei social implica ions
(Ransbo ham e al., 2022). The e o e, o ganisa ions mus s ike a bal-
ance be ween le e aging he bene i s o in elligen au oma ion and
add essing he po en ial challenges i poses o wo ke s and socie y.
Theo e ical backg ound
The di usion o inno a ion heo y, de eloped by Roge s in 1962,
p o ides a comp ehensi e amewo k o unde s anding how new
echnologies and inno a ions a e adop ed and sp ead ac oss o ganisa-
ions and socie ies (Roge s, 1962). This heo y posi s ha he adop ion
o inno a ion ollows a p ocess in luenced by ac o s such as he cha -
ac e is ics o he inno a ion, he social sys em in which i is in oduced,
communica ion channels, and he ime aken o he inno a ion o be
adop ed (Roge s, 2003). S udies, such as Ghobakhloo e al. (2023),
in es iga ed he au oma ion’s con ex wi h he lens o he echnology,
o ganisa ion, and en i onmen (TOE) amewo k in e ms o mic o and
mac o o ganisa ional and social sus ainabili y- ela ed ac o s. Simila ly,
Cha e jee e al. (2021) ocused on echnology accep ance model (TAM)
by in es iga ing echnological ac o s in he manu ac u ing con ex .
Likewise, Pillai e al. (2022) unde ook a esou ce-based iew (RBV) and
conside ed in elligen echnologies as c i ical in e nal sou ces o i ms.
Howe e , in his s udy, he di usion o inno a ion se es as a c i ical
lens h ough which he adop ion and implemen a ion o in elligen
au oma ion echnologies can be analysed and unde s ood. A i s co e,
he di usion o inno a ion iden i ies i e key a ibu es ha signi ican ly
in luence he a e o adop ion: (i) ela i e ad an age, (ii) compa ibili y,
(iii) complexi y, (i ) ialabili y, and ( ) obse abili y (Roge s, 2003).
These a ibu es p o ide a s uc u ed app oach o examining how o -
ganisa ions pe cei e and adop in elligen au oma ion echnologies,
such as AI, BPM, and RPA.
Rela i e ad an age e e s o he deg ee o which an inno a ion is
pe cei ed o be supe io o he echnology i eplaces. In elligen au o-
ma ion could in ol e he pe cei ed bene i s o au oma ing complex
business p ocesses, imp o ing decision-making speed, enhancing accu-
acy, and educing ope a ional cos s compa ed o adi ional manual
p ocesses (Ng e al., 2021). O ganisa ions ha pe cei e a high ela i e
ad an age in adop ing in elligen au oma ion a e mo e likely o imple-
men hese echnologies apidly. Fo ins ance, Laci y and Willcocks
(2021) ound ha o ganisa ions ha ecognise he s a egic bene i s o
in elligen au oma ion, such as enhanced e iciency and compe i i e
ad an age, a e mo e inclined o in es in and adop in elligen au o-
ma ion solu ions. Compa ibili y is he deg ee o which an inno a ion
aligns wi h he exis ing alues, pas expe iences, and needs o adop e s.
Fo in elligen au oma ion, compa ibili y in ol es he in eg a ion o
hese echnologies wi h he exis ing IT in as uc u e, o ganisa ional
wo k lows, and co po a e cul u e (Coombs e al., 2020). The seamless
in eg a ion o in elligen au oma ion wi h cu en sys ems is c ucial o
i s success ul adop ion. I in elligen au oma ion echnologies a e
pe cei ed as compa ible wi h an o ganisa ion’s exis ing ope a ions, he
likelihood o adop ion inc eases. A a an (2023) emphasised ha o ga-
nisa ions wi h a high le el o digi al ma u i y and compa ible in a-
s uc u e a e be e posi ioned o adop in elligen au oma ion
echnologies e ec i ely.
Simila ly, complexi y pe ains o he pe cei ed di icul y o unde -
s anding and using inno a ion. In elligen au oma ion echnologies,
which in ol e sophis ica ed AI algo i hms, ad anced BPM ools, and
RPA, can be pe cei ed as complex, especially in o ganisa ions ha lack
digi al compe encies (Roge s, 2003). High pe cei ed complexi y can ac
as a ba ie o adop ion, as o ganisa ions may be eluc an o in es in
echnologies ha a e di icul o implemen and manage. To mi iga e
his, o ganisa ions o en ely on pilo p ojec s o g adual implemen a-
ion s a egies o educe he pe cei ed complexi y o in elligen au o-
ma ion (Ghosh, 2021). T ialabili y e e s o he deg ee o which an
inno a ion can be es ed on a limi ed basis be o e ull-scale imple-
men a ion. This a ibu e is pa icula ly ele an o in elligen au o-
ma ion because o ganisa ions o en seek o es hese echnologies in
speci ic depa men s o p ocesses be o e commi ing o a b oade ollou
(Ng e al., 2021). T ialabili y allows o ganisa ions o assess he po en ial
bene i s and challenges o in elligen au oma ion in a con olled en i-
onmen , he eby educing he isks associa ed wi h la ge-scale adop-
ion. Coombs e al. (2020) no ed ha o ganisa ions ha can expe imen
wi h in elligen au oma ion on a small scale a e mo e likely o ecognise
i s alue and p oceed o ull adop ion. Finally, obse abili y e e s o he
ex en o which inno a ion esul s a e isible o o he s. In he con ex o
IA, obse able ou comes may include imp o ed e iciency, educed
cos s, and enhanced decision-making capabili ies. When he bene i s o
in elligen au oma ion a e easily obse able bo h wi hin he adop ing
o ganisa ion and in o he o ganisa ions ha implemen ed simila ech-
nologies, he a e o adop ion is likely o inc ease (Roge s, 2003).
Ne e heless, A a an (2023) epo ed ha o ganisa ions ha could
clea ly obse e he posi i e impac s o in elligen au oma ion in o he
i ms we e mo e mo i a ed o adop hese echnologies. The e o e, he
adop ion and implemen a ion o in elligen au oma ion ex end he
di usion o inno a ion by conside ing o ganisa ional and s a egic
ac o s.
M. Muba ik e al.
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3
Hypo hesis de elopmen
Digi alisa ion compe encies and in elligen au oma ion
Digi alisa ion compe encies, which encompass he echnical skills,
knowledge, and o ganisa ional capabili ies equi ed o in eg a e digi al
echnologies in o business p ocesses, a e c ucial o he success ul
implemen a ion o in elligen au oma ion (S eens e al., 2024). These
compe encies enable o ganisa ions o e ec i ely manage and le e age
ad anced echnologies, which a e in eg al componen s o in elligen
au oma ion (Ng e al., 2021). The posi i e impac o digi alisa ion
compe encies on in elligen au oma ion can be a ibu ed o se e al
ac o s, including he abili y o seamlessly in eg a e new echnologies
wi h exis ing sys ems, he capaci y o manage he complexi ies o digi al
ans o ma ion, and o ganisa ional eadiness o adop and op imise
hese echnologies (Ghobakhloo e al., 2023).
Resea ch has shown ha o ganisa ions wi h s ong digi alisa ion
compe encies a e mo e likely o success ully implemen in elligen
au oma ion, leading o signi ican imp o emen s in ope a ional e i-
ciency, decision-making accu acy, and o e all business pe o mance
(Coombs e al., 2020; Hameed e al., 2024). These compe encies enable
i ms o na iga e he challenges associa ed wi h he adop ion o in el-
ligen au oma ion, such as echnical in eg a ion, da a managemen , and
wo k o ce adap a ion. To suppo his poin o iew, Laci y and Will-
cocks (2021) epo ed ha i ms wi h high digi alisa ion compe encies
could be e align in elligen au oma ion echnologies wi h hei s a-
egic objec i es, esul ing in mo e e ec i e and e icien au oma ion
p ocesses. Mo eo e , digi alisa ion compe encies acili a e he de el-
opmen o a digi al cul u e wi hin o ganisa ions, p omo ing inno a ion
and con inuous imp o emen (Muba ik e al., 2024; Pilko a e al.,
2021). This cul u al shi is essen ial o he success ul adop ion o
in elligen au oma ion because i encou ages employees o emb ace new
echnologies and p ocesses. Simila ly, Ghosh (2021) emphasised ha
o ganisa ions ha in es in de eloping hei digi alisa ion compe encies
a e be e posi ioned o le e age he ull po en ial o in elligen au o-
ma ion, he eby achie ing a compe i i e ad an age in he ma ke . Thus,
we o mula e he ollowing:
Hypo hesis 1.Digi alisa ion compe encies posi i ely impac in elligen
au oma ion.
Digi alisa ion compe encies and echnology abso p i e capaci y
Technology abso p i e capaci y e e s o an o ganisa ion’s abili y o
ecognise he alue o new ex e nal knowledge, assimila e i , and apply
i comme cially (Cohen & Le in hal, 1990). Digi alisa ion compe encies
a e ins umen al in enhancing echnology abso p i e capaci y as hey
equip o ganisa ions wi h he necessa y skills, knowledge, and in a-
s uc u e o e ec i ely abso b and u ilise new echnologies (Xie e al.,
2024). The ela ionship be ween digi alisa ion compe encies and ech-
nology abso p i e capaci y is pa icula ly ele an in he con ex o
in elligen au oma ion, whe e he in eg a ion o ad anced echnologies
equi es a high le el o abso p i e capaci y. In addi ion, o ganisa ions
wi h s ong digi alisa ion compe encies a e be e equipped o iden i y
and e alua e new echnological oppo uni ies, such as AI and RPA, and
o in eg a e hese inno a ions in o hei exis ing p ocesses (Ghosh,
2021). These compe encies enable i ms o e ec i ely manage he
complexi ies o digi al ans o ma ion, including he assimila ion o new
knowledge and adap a ion o exis ing p ocesses o accommoda e new
echnologies (Muba ik e al., 2023). Consequen ly, o ganisa ions wi h
highe digi alisa ion compe encies end o exhibi g ea e echnology
abso p i e capaci y, allowing hem o s ay ahead o echnological ends
and main ain a compe i i e edge in he ma ke .
Empi ical s udies also demons a ed ha digi alisa ion compe encies
posi i ely impac echnology abso p i e capaci y by enhancing an o -
ganisa ion’s abili y o lea n om ex e nal sou ces, such as indus y bes
p ac ices, echnological ad ancemen s, and collabo a i e ne wo ks (Ng
e al., 2021; Muba ak e al., 2023). This enhanced abso p i e capaci y
acili a es he success ul implemen a ion o in elligen au oma ion
echnologies, as i ms can mo e e ec i ely in eg a e and le e age hese
inno a ions o achie e s a egic goals. Fu he mo e, he de elopmen o
digi alisa ion compe encies os e s a cul u e o con inuous lea ning and
inno a ion wi hin o ganisa ions. This cul u al shi suppo s he ongoing
de elopmen o echnology abso p i e capaci y, enabling i ms o
emain agile and esponsi e o echnological changes. Coombs e al.
(2020) highligh ha o ganisa ions wi h s ong digi alisa ion compe-
encies a e mo e likely o in es in ongoing aining and de elopmen ,
u he enhancing hei abso p i e capaci y and abili y o capi alise on
new echnologies. In his con ex , we o mula e he ollowing
hypo hesis:
Hypo hesis 2.Digi alisa ion compe encies posi i ely in luence echnology
abso p i e capaci y.
Digi alisa ion compe encies and s a egic alue
The pe cei ed s a egic alue o a echnology e e s o he ex en o
which an o ganisa ion belie es ha he echnology will con ibu e o i s
s a egic goals, such as imp o ing compe i i e ad an age, enhancing
p oduc i i y, o os e ing inno a ion (Coombs e al., 2020). Digi al-
isa ion compe encies a e closely linked o he pe cei ed s a egic alue
o in elligen au oma ion because hey enable o ganisa ions o be e
unde s and, e alua e, and ealise he bene i s o hese echnologies.
O ganisa ions wi h s ong digi alisa ion compe encies a e mo e likely o
pe cei e in elligen au oma ion as s a egically aluable because hey
enhance hei abili y o assess he po en ial impac o in elligen au o-
ma ion on hei ope a ions and s a egic objec i es (Ng e al., 2021).
Fi ms wi h ad anced digi al skills can be e align in elligen au oma ion
echnologies wi h hei s a egic goals, leading o a mo e a ou able
pe cep ion o he alue ha in elligen au oma ion can deli e . This
alignmen is c ucial o d i ing he adop ion and success ul imple-
men a ion o in elligen au oma ion, as i ensu es ha echnology is used
in ways ha di ec ly suppo he o ganisa ion’s s a egic p io i ies.
Mo eo e , digi alisa ion compe encies enable o ganisa ions o
e ec i ely communica e he s a egic alue o in elligen au oma ion o
key s akeholde s, including senio managemen , employees, and
ex e nal pa ne s (Muba ak e al., 2021). This communica ion is essen-
ial o gaining buy-in and suppo o in elligen au oma ion ini ia i es
as i helps build a sha ed unde s anding o he echnology’s bene i s and
s a egic impo ance (Laci y & Willcocks, 2021; Xie e al., 2024). O -
ganisa ions ha can clea ly a icula e he s a egic alue o in elligen
au oma ion a e mo e likely o secu e he esou ces and commi men
equi ed o success ully implemen and op imise hese echnologies.
Empi ical esea ch shows ha he pe cei ed s a egic alue o in elligen
au oma ion is a signi ican de e minan o i s adop ion and success
(Ghosh, 2021). O ganisa ions wi h highe digi alisa ion compe encies
a e be e posi ioned o iden i y and le e age he s a egic alue o
in elligen au oma ion, leading o mo e success ul ou comes. This ela-
ionship unde sco es he impo ance o in es ing in digi al skills and
capabili ies o enhance he pe cei ed s a egic alue o in elligen
au oma ion and d i e i s adop ion in an o ganisa ion. Thus, we o mu-
la ed he ollowing hypo heses:
Hypo hesis 3.Digi alisa ion compe encies posi i ely imp o e pe cei ed
s a egic alue.
Technology abso p i e capaci y and s a egic alue
O ganisa ions wi h a high echnology abso p i e capaci y a e be e
equipped o ecognise he po en ial bene i s o in elligen au oma ion
and in eg a e his knowledge in o hei s a egic amewo ks, he eby
inc easing he pe cei ed alue o he echnology (Cohen & Le in hal,
1990). This p ocess is pa icula ly impo an in dynamic en i onmen s
whe e echnological ad ancemen s occu apidly and he abili y o
abso b and u ilise ex e nal inno a ions can p o ide a signi ican
compe i i e edge. Se e al empi ical s udies showed ha echnology
abso p i e capaci y di ec ly in luences how o ganisa ions pe cei e he
M. Muba ik e al.
Jou nal o Inno a ion & Knowledge 10 (2025) 100675
4
s a egic alue o echnology. Fo example, A cidiacono e al. (2022)
demons a ed ha i ms wi h s ong abso p i e capaci ies a e mo e
likely o iew new echnologies as s a egically aluable, because hey
can mo e e ec i ely align hese echnologies wi h hei o ganisa ional
goals. Likewise, his alignmen enhances he s a egic u ili y o in elli-
gen au oma ion by ensu ing ha i con ibu es o key pe o mance in-
dica o s such as ope a ional e iciency, cus ome sa is ac ion, and
inno a ion capaci y (Mehmood & Muba ik, 2020). Mo eo e , echnol-
ogy abso p i e capaci y enables o ganisa ions o be e assess he
long- e m bene i s and po en ial isks associa ed wi h in elligen au o-
ma ion, leading o a mo e in o med and s a egic e alua ion o i s alue
(Ghobakhloo e al., 2022). By e ec i ely in eg a ing ex e nal knowl-
edge, o ganisa ions can an icipa e how in elligen au oma ion can be
le e aged o achie e compe i i e ad an age, he eby enhancing hei
pe cei ed s a egic alue. This p ocess also in ol es ans o ming
ex e nal knowledge in o ac ionable insigh s ha can guide
decision-making p ocesses a he s a egic le el (Zah a & Geo ge, 2002;
Kas elli e al., 2024). Addi ionally, o ganisa ions wi h a high echnology
abso p i e capaci y a e be e posi ioned o communica e he s a egic
alue o in elligen au oma ion o key s akeholde s, including senio
managemen and ex e nal pa ne s. This communica ion is c ucial o
secu ing he esou ces and commi men s necessa y o in elligen
au oma ion ini ia i es. The abili y o a icula e he s a egic bene i s o
IA, suppo ed by a deep unde s anding o i s po en ial, u he ein o ces
i s pe cei ed alue wi hin he o ganisa ion (Lich en hale , 2009). Based
on hese a gumen s, we hypo hesise he ollowing:
Hypo hesis 4.Technology abso p i e capaci y posi i ely e ec s pe cei ed
s a egic alue.
Technology abso p i e capaci y and in elligen au oma ion
Technology abso p i e capaci y is a c i ical enable o success ul
in elligen au oma ion adop ion ha enables he iden i ica ion, assimi-
la ion, and applica ion o ex e nal echnological knowledge, which is
essen ial o in eg a ing complex in elligen au oma ion echnologies
in o o ganisa ional p ocesses (Cha e jee e al., 2021). O ganisa ions
wi h high echnology abso p i e capaci y a e be e equipped o o e -
come he challenges associa ed wi h in elligen au oma ion imple-
men a ion, such as echnical in eg a ion, da a managemen , and
adap a ion o exis ing wo k lows o accommoda e new echnologies.
O he s udies demons a e ha echnology abso p i e capaci y posi-
i ely impac s he adop ion and op imisa ion o in elligen au oma ion
by enhancing an o ganisa ion’s abili y o e ec i ely in eg a e ex e nal
echnological inno a ions (Ghobakhloo e al., 2022). Fo ins ance, o -
ganisa ions wi h s ong abso p i e capaci ies a e mo e likely o suc-
cess ully implemen in elligen au oma ion echnologies because hey
can mo e e ec i ely assimila e new knowledge and apply i o imp o e
business p ocesses (Zah a & Geo ge, 2002). This abili y o in eg a e
ex e nal knowledge is pa icula ly impo an in he con ex o in elligen
au oma ion, whe e he apid e olu ion o echnology equi es o gani-
sa ions o con inuously upda e hei capabili ies o emain compe i i e.
Mo eo e , echnology abso p i e capaci y suppo s he con inuous
imp o emen and op imisa ion o in elligen au oma ion echnologies
wi hin o ganisa ions. By acili a ing he assimila ion o ex e nal
knowledge, echnology abso p i e capaci y enables i ms o e ine and
enhance hei in elligen au oma ion sys ems o e ime, he eby leading
o be e pe o mance ou comes (Lich en hale , 2009). This con inuous
imp o emen p ocess is essen ial o maximising he bene i s o IA, as i
ensu es ha he echnology emains aligned wi h o ganisa ional goals
and adap s o changing business en i onmen s. The empi ical e idence
also sugges s ha echnological abso p i e capaci y plays a signi ican
ole in mi iga ing he isks associa ed wi h in elligen au oma ion. Fo
example, i ms wi h high abso p i e capaci y can be e an icipa e and
add ess po en ial challenges du ing he in elligen au oma ion adop ion
p ocess, such as esis ance o change and echnical in eg a ion issues
(A cidiacono e al., 2022). This p oac i e app oach o managing
in elligen au oma ion implemen a ion no only imp o es he chances o
success ul adop ion bu also enhances he o e all e ec i eness o
echnology.
Hypo hesis 5.Technology abso p i e capaci y posi i ely imp o es in el-
ligen au oma ion.
S a egic alue and in elligen au oma ion
The pe cei ed s a egic alue o a echnology is a c i ical de e mi-
nan o i s adop ion and success wi hin an o ganisa ion (Muba ak e al.,
2024). S a egic alue e e s o he ex en o which in elligen au oma-
ion con ibu es o an o ganisa ion’s long- e m goals, such as imp o ing
e iciency, os e ing inno a ion, and gaining a compe i i e ad an age
(Coombs e al., 2020). O ganisa ions ha pe cei e in elligen au oma-
ion as s a egically aluable a e mo e likely o in es in i s imple-
men a ion and in eg a ion in o hei business p ocesses.
Resea ch has shown ha he pe cei ed s a egic alue o in elligen
au oma ion signi ican ly in luences i s adop ion and op imisa ion wi hin
o ganisa ions. Fo ins ance, o ganisa ions ha ecognise he s a egic
bene i s o in elligen au oma ion, such as enhanced decision-making
capabili ies, imp o ed ope a ional e iciency, and be e cus ome ex-
pe iences, a e mo e likely o p io i ise i s implemen a ion (Ng e al.,
2021). This p io i isa ion o en leads o inc eased in es men in in el-
ligen au oma ion echnologies and he de elopmen o he necessa y
in as uc u e and compe encies o suppo i s success ul adop ion.
Fu he mo e, he s a egic alue o in elligen au oma ion enhances i s
in eg a ion in o o ganisa ional p ocesses by ensu ing ha he echnol-
ogy is aligned wi h he company’s s a egic objec i es. This alignmen is
c ucial o maximising he bene i s o in elligen au oma ion, as i en-
su es ha echnology is used in ways ha di ec ly suppo he o gani-
sa ion’s long- e m goals (Laci y & Willcocks, 2021). Fo example,
companies ha iew in elligen au oma ion as a key d i e o inno a ion
a e mo e likely o implemen i in a eas in which i can ha e he g ea es
impac , such as p oduc de elopmen o cus ome se ice.
The s a egic alue o in elligen au oma ion is c i ical in secu ing
s akeholde suppo . When senio managemen and o he key s ake-
holde s pe cei e in elligen au oma ion as s a egically aluable, hey
a e mo e likely o p o ide he necessa y esou ces and commi men o
ensu e i s success ul implemen a ion (Coombs e al., 2020). This suppo
is essen ial o o e coming he challenges associa ed wi h in elligen
au oma ion adop ion, such as esis ance o change o he need o sig-
ni ican o ganisa ional es uc u ing. Ex an s udies con i med ha he
pe cei ed s a egic alue o in elligen au oma ion is a signi ican p e-
dic o o success ul adop ion and implemen a ion (Ghobakhloo e al.,
2023). Fo ins ance, Ghosh (2021) ound ha o ganisa ions ha
pe cei e in elligen au oma ion as s a egically aluable a e mo e likely
o in es in i s de elopmen and op imisa ion, leading o be e pe o -
mance ou comes. This ela ionship unde sco es he impo ance o
aligning in elligen au oma ion wi h o ganisa ional s a egies o ensu e
success ul adop ion and in eg a ion.
Hypo hesis 6.In elligen au oma ion posi i ely imp o es in elligen
au oma ion.
The hypo heses o his s udy a e p esen ed in he esea ch amewo k
shown in Fig. 1.
Resea ch me hodology
This s udy employed a quan i a i e esea ch me hod, which is
cha ac e ized by he collec ion and analysis o nume ical da a o iden i y
pa e ns, es hypo heses, and de e mine ela ionships be ween a i-
ables. The esea ch ollowed a deduc i e app oach, which in ol es
de eloping hypo heses based on exis ing heo ies and hen es ing hese
hypo heses h ough empi ical da a. The popula ion o his s udy consis s
o mul ina ional i ms, as hese o ganiza ions possess he esou ces and
capabili ies necessa y o adop ad anced echnological ini ia i es, such
M. Muba ik e al.
Jou nal o Inno a ion & Knowledge 10 (2025) 100675
5
as in elligen au oma ion. In con as , small and medium-sized en e -
p ises (SMEs), due o esou ce cons ain s, o en ely on collabo a ions
wi h o he i ms o simila scale o wi h la ge o ganiza ions o le e age
sha ed asse s and expe ise. This dis inc ion unde sco es he unique
capaci y o mul ina ional i ms o independen ly d i e he imple-
men a ion o in elligen au oma ion.
The da a o his s udy was collec ed using a s uc u ed ques ionnai e
designed o measu e ou key a iables: echnology abso p i e capaci y,
digi al compe encies, s a egic alue, and in elligen au oma ion. Each
a iable was ope a ionalized h ough speci ic indica o s, ensu ing he
alidi y and eliabili y o he measu es by d awing on es ablished scales
om he li e a u e. Technology abso p i e capaci y was measu ed using
ou indica o s based on he wo k o Mülle e al. (2021) and ul Zia e al.
(2023), ocusing on he o ganiza ion’s abili y o iden i y, assimila e, and
apply ex e nal echnological knowledge. Digi al compe encies we e also
measu ed wi h ou indica o s, adap ed om Pillai e al. (2022) and
Ghobakhloo e al. (2022), cap u ing he skills and capabili ies necessa y
o e ec i ely managing digi al echnologies, which a e c i ical o he
success ul adop ion o in elligen au oma ion. The s a egic alue o
in elligen au oma ion was assessed using i e indica o s de i ed om
he amewo ks o Cha e jee e al. (2021) and Ghobakhloo and Ching
(2019), e alua ing how o ganiza ions pe cei e in elligen au oma ion as
con ibu ing o hei s a egic objec i es, such as enhancing e iciency
and compe i i e ad an age. Las ly, he ex en o in elligen au oma ion
implemen a ion was measu ed wi h h ee indica o s om he s udies o
Ghobakhloo and Ching (2019) and Cha e jee e al. (2021), e lec ing
he deg ee o in eg a ion o in elligen au oma ion echnologies like AI,
BPM, and RPA in o ope a ional p ocesses. Responden s a ed each in-
dica o on a Like scale, p o iding quan i iable measu es o each
a iable. The use o alida ed indica o s om epu able sou ces ensu es
ha he ins umen is obus and accu a ely cap u es he ele an as-
pec s o each cons uc as hey pe ain o he adop ion and s a egic
impac o In elligen Au oma ion. The de ails o ins umen o s udy a e
gi en in Table 1.
The sampling ame o his s udy comp ised mul ina ional
manu ac u ing companies. These companies we e chosen because hey
a e ypically leade s in adop ing new echnological inno a ions and a e
mo e likely o be acquain ed wi h he concep o in elligen au oma ion
implemen a ion. The ocus on mul ina ional i ms also enhances he
gene alizabili y o he s udy’s indings. We collabo a ed wi h an
in e na ional esea ch conso ium and indus ial pa ne s o iden i y a
lis o 685 mul ina ional manu ac u ing companies, comple e wi h hei
con ac in o ma ion. The su ey was adminis e ed online in 2022. To
imp o e da a eliabili y and mi iga e he isk o me hod bias, we u ilized
a mul iple in o man echnique. The use o mul iple in o man s is widely
ecognized in o ganiza ional s udies, especially when he su ey in-
s umen measu es a ious con ex ual ac o s. This app oach p o ides a
mo e comp ehensi e unde s anding o he o ganiza ional con ex and
educes he po en ial o bias in esponses. Following he adminis a ion
o he online su ey and subsequen ollow-up ac i i ies, we ecei ed
177 usable esponses, yielding a esponse a e o 25.84 % which is
accep able o analysis in social sciences.
Resul s
Assessmen s o he measu emen model
The measu emen model was e alua ed using es ablished c i e ia o
con e gen alidi y and eliabili y. The cons uc s analyzed in his s udy
– echnology abso p i e capaci y, digi al compe encies, s a egic alue, and
in elligen au oma ion – demons a ed obus psychome ic p ope ies, as
ou lined in Table 2. The con e gen alidi y was assessed h ough he
a e age a iance ex ac ed (AVE), wi h alues anging om 0.643
echnology abso p i e capaci y o 0.724 digi al compe encies. All AVE
alues exceeded he ecommended h eshold o 0.50 (Hai e al., 2019),
indica ing ha each cons uc explains a signi ican po ion o he
a iance in i s indica o s. These esul s con i m ha he cons uc s a e
app op ia ely cap u ing he in ended dimensions o he unde lying
la en a iables. Mo eo e , he in e nal consis ency o he cons uc s
was e alua ed using composi e eliabili y (CR) and C onbach’s alpha
(CB Alpha). CR alues anged om 0.831 digi al compe encies o 0.890
echnology abso p i e capaci y, exceeding he accep able h eshold o
0.70, which sugges s high eliabili y o he cons uc s (Sa s ed e al.,
2020). Simila ly, C onbach’s Alpha alues anged om 0.810 digi al
compe encies o 0.889 echnology abso p i e capaci y, u he sup-
po ing he in e nal consis ency and eliabili y o he measu emen
model (Hensele e al., 2016). Likewise, he ac o loadings anged om
0.737 o 0.893 ac oss all cons uc s, su passing he accep able h eshold
o 0.70 (Ringle e al., 2018). This indica es s ong co ela ions be ween
he indica o s and hei espec i e cons uc s, u he ein o cing he
obus ness o he measu emen model. The esul s a e shown in Table 2.
Acco ding o he Fo nell-La cke c i e ion, disc iminan alidi y is
es ablished when he squa e oo o he AVE o a cons uc is g ea e
han i s co ela ions wi h o he cons uc s. The diagonal elemen s in he
able ep esen he squa e oo o he AVE o each cons uc , while he
o -diagonal elemen s ep esen he co ela ions be ween he cons uc s.
Fo echnology abso p i e capaci y, he squa e oo o he AVE is 0.802,
which is highe han i s co ela ions wi h digi al compe encies (0.303),
s a egic alue (0.330), and in elligen au oma ion (0.371). Simila ly,
digi al compe encies ha e a squa e oo o he AVE o 0.851, which is
g ea e han i s co ela ions wi h s a egic alue (0.369) and in elligen
au oma ion (0.342), suppo ing he disc iminan alidi y o digi al
compe encies. Fo s a egic alue, he squa e oo o he a e is 0.807,
Fig. 1. Concep ual amewo k o s udy.
Table 1
Ins umen o da a collec ion.
Va iables Indica o s Sou ces
Technology abso p i e
capaci y
4Mülle e al. (2021), ul zia e al. (2023)
Digi al compe encies 4 Pillai e al. (2022), Ghobakhloo e al.
(2022)
S a egic alue 5 Cha e jee e al. (2021), Ghobakhloo and
Ching (2019)
In elligen au oma ion 3 Ghobakhloo and Ching (2019),
Cha e jee e al. (2021)
Table 2
Assessmen s o measu emen model.
Va iables Con e gen alidi y and
eliabili y
Fac o loadings
ange
AVE CR CB
Alpha
Technology abso p i e
capaci y
0.643 0.890 0.889 0.753 o 848
Digi al compe encies 0.724 0.831 0.810 0.817 o 0.893
S a egic alue 0.651 0.847 0.821 0.737 o 0.865
In elligen au oma ion 0.655 0.832 0.824 0.773 o 0.861
M. Muba ik e al.
Jou nal o Inno a ion & Knowledge 10 (2025) 100675
6
which exceeds i s co ela ions wi h echnology abso p i e capaci y
(0.330), digi al compe encies (0.369), and in elligen au oma ion
(0.379). Las ly, in elligen au oma ion exhibi s a squa e oo o he a e
o 0.809, which is highe han i s co ela ions wi h echnology abso p-
i e capaci y (0.371), digi al compe encies (0.342), and s a egic alue
(0.379). These esul s con i m ha in elligen au oma ion is dis inc
om he o he cons uc s. In addi ion, he a iance in la ion ac o (VIF)
alues o each cons uc , anging om 1.621 o 2.662, a e well below
he commonly accep ed h eshold o 5, indica ing ha mul icollinea i y
is no a conce n in his s udy (Hai e al., 2019). This u he suppo s he
obus ness o he disc iminan alidi y indings. The esul s o disc im-
inan alidi y a e shown in Table 3.
Resul s o he s uc u al model
The esul s o he s uc u al model p o ide impo an insigh s in o
he ela ionships among digi al compe encies, echnology abso p i e
capaci y, s a egic alue, and in elligen au oma ion. The indings
highligh ed a ying le els o signi icance o he hypo hesised e-
la ionships, as de ailed below.
The ela ionship be ween digi al compe encies and in elligen au o-
ma ion (β =0.111, alue =1.435, p alue =0.151) was ound o be
posi i e bu no s a is ically signi ican . This sugges s ha , while digi al
compe encies may play a ole in enabling he adop ion o in elligen
au oma ion, o he ac o s migh exe a s onge in luence on he
implemen a ion p ocess. This inding aligns wi h p io esea ch indi-
ca ing ha digi al compe encies o en need o be complemen ed by
o he o ganisa ional capabili ies o d i e au oma ion success (Ng e al.,
2021). Con e sely, digi al compe encies signi ican ly in luence ech-
nology abso p i e capaci y (β =0.303, alue =4.295, p alue =0.000).
This indica es ha o ganisa ions wi h obus digi al capabili ies a e
be e posi ioned o acqui e, assimila e, and apply ex e nal echnolog-
ical knowledge. This suppo s he heo y o abso p i e capaci y, which
emphasises he c i ical ole o ounda ional skills and in as uc u e in
os e ing inno a ion adop ion (Cohen & Le in hal, 1990). The impac o
digi al compe encies on s a egic alue (β =0.175, alue =1.931, p
alue =0.054) app oaches s a is ical signi icance, sugges ing ha o -
ganisa ions wi h ad anced digi al compe encies may ecognise he
s a egic bene i s o in elligen au oma ion, such as os e ing inno a ion
and enhancing compe i i eness. Howe e , bo de line signi icance in-
dica es po en ial con ex ual o media ing ac o s ha may a ec his
ela ionship (Cha e jee e al., 2021). The ela ionship be ween ech-
nology abso p i e capaci y and s a egic alue (β = − 0.020, alue =
0.216, p alue =0.829) was no suppo ed, indica ing ha abso p i e
capaci y does no di ec ly in luence he pe cei ed s a egic alue o
in elligen au oma ion in his con ex . This inding sugges s ha he
ansla ion o echnological capabili ies in o s a egic insigh s may
depend on addi ional o ganisa ional ac o s such as s a egic alignmen
o leade ship p io i ies (Zah a & Geo ge, 2002). In con as , he ela-
ionship be ween echnology abso p i e capaci y and in elligen au o-
ma ion (β =0.327, alue =4.496, p alue =0.000) is bo h posi i e and
s a is ically signi ican . This highligh s he c i ical ole o abso p i e
capaci y in acili a ing he in eg a ion and op imisa ion o au oma ion
echnologies. O ganisa ions wi h a highe abso p i e capaci y a e be e
equipped o implemen in elligen au oma ion e ec i ely, emphasising
he impo ance o de eloping obus echnological capabili ies
(Lich en hale , 2009). Finally, s a egic alue signi ican ly in luences
in elligen au oma ion (β =0.312, alue =4.424, p alue =0.000),
unde sco ing he impo ance o aligning au oma ion ini ia i es wi h
o ganisa ional s a egic goals. O ganisa ions ha pe cei e in elligen
au oma ion as s a egically aluable a e mo e likely o in es in and
success ully implemen hese echnologies, which is consis en wi h
indings in he li e a u e on echnology adop ion and s a egic man-
agemen (Coombs e al., 2020). The R² alue o in elligen au oma ion
was 0.285, indica ing ha 28.5 % o he a iance in in elligen au o-
ma ion was explained by he independen a iables in he model. While
his sugges s a mode a e explana o y powe , i also highligh s he po-
en ial in luence o o he unmeasu ed ac o s on in elligen au oma ion
adop ion. The esul s o he s uc u al model a e lis ed in Table 4.
Discussion
The indings p o ide an unde s anding o he digi al ans o ma ion
phenomenon h ough he di usion o inno a ion by examining how
digi alisa ion compe encies, echnology abso p i e capaci y, and s a-
egic alue shape in elligen au oma ion implemen a ion. This s udy
e eals ha digi alisa ion compe encies do no ha e a signi ican di ec
impac on in elligen au oma ion implemen a ion. Ins ead, echnolog-
ical abso p i e capaci y and s a egic alue media e i s in luence,
highligh ing an indi ec pa hway. This inding sugges s ha , while
digi al compe encies p o ide he ounda ional skills and in as uc u e
necessa y o in elligen au oma ion adop ion, hey a e no su icien on
hei own o d i e implemen a ion. This aligns wi h p io s udies, such
as Ghobakhloo e al. (2023), who emphasised ha digi al compe encies
mus be in eg a ed in o o ganisa ional p ocesses and s a egic objec i es
o unlock hei ull po en ial o echnological adop ion. The indi ec
e ec o echnology abso p i e capaci y signi ies ha digi al skills
enhance an o ganisa ion’s capaci y o abso b and u ilise ex e nal
knowledge, he eby acili a ing he in eg a ion o au oma ion sys ems.
Fu he mo e, he in luence o s a egic alue unde sco es he impo -
ance o aligning digi al ini ia i es wi h pe cei ed s a egic bene i s,
such as ope a ional e iciency and compe i i e ad an age (Cohen &
Le in hal, 1990; Cha e jee e al., 2021). These indings challenge he
con en ional iew ha digi alisa ion alone d i es he adop ion o
au oma ion. Ins ead, hey highligh ed he need o i ms o complemen
hei digi al capabili ies wi h abso p i e and s a egic capaci ies o
achie e meaning ul in elligen au oma ion in eg a ion.
Fu he mo e, abso p i e capaci y eme ged as a pi o al de e minan
o in elligen au oma ion implemen a ion, ein o cing i s ole as an
enable o echnological in eg a ion. Fi ms wi h a highe abso p i e
capaci y a e be e posi ioned o assimila e ex e nal inno a ions and
align hem wi h in e nal capabili ies, he eby acili a ing he seamless
adop ion o in elligen au oma ion. This inding esona es wi h A ci-
diacono e al. (2022), who demons a e ha abso p i e capaci y
signi ican ly enhances i ms’ abili y o adop sma manu ac u ing
echnologies. Technology abso p i e capaci y also se es as a media ing
ac o h ough which digi alisa ion compe encies in luence in elligen
au oma ion, unde sco ing i s impo ance in b idging he gap be ween
echnological eadiness and ope a ional implemen a ion. Howe e , he
Table 3
Disc iminan alidi y by Fo nell-La cke c i e ion.
Va iables 1 2 3 4
Technology abso p i e capaci y (1) 0.802
Digi al compe encies (2) 0.303 0.851
S a egic alue (3) 0.330 0.369 0.807
In elligen au oma ion (4) 0.371 0.342 0.379 0.809
Table 4
Resul s o he s uc u al model.
Hypo heses Be a
alue (β)
S anda d
de ia ion
(STDEV)
T
s a is ics
p
alues
Decision
DC → IA 0.111 0.078 1.435 0.151 Rejec ed
DC → TAC 0.303 0.071 4.295 0.000 Suppo ed
DC →SV 0.175 0.091 1.931 0.054 Bo de line
TAC→SV −0.020 0.095 0.216 0.829 Rejec ed
TAC→IA 0.327 0.073 4.496 0.000 Suppo ed
SV→IA 0.312 0.071 4.424 0.000 Suppo ed
Abb e ia ions: DC – Digi aliza ion compe encies; IA – In elligen au oma ion;
TAC – Technology abso p i e capaci y; SV – S a egic alue.
M. Muba ik e al.
Jou nal o Inno a ion & Knowledge 10 (2025) 100675
7
lack o a di ec impac o echnology abso p i e capaci y on s a egic
alue highligh s he c i ical nuance ha abso p i e capaci y is essen ial
o he echnical aspec s o in elligen au oma ion in eg a ion and ha
i s s a egic implica ions depend on o he ac o s such as leade ship,
cul u al alignmen , and ex e nal s akeholde engagemen . This inding
aligns wi h he no ion ha he in e play be ween human, o ganisa ional,
and echnological con ex s shapes inno a ion ou comes (Cha e jee
e al., 2021; Yuso e al., 2008).
In addi ion, we ind ha s a egic alue plays a signi ican ole in
de e mining in elligen au oma ion implemen a ion, highligh ing he
impo ance o aligning au oma ion ini ia i es wi h o ganisa ional ob-
jec i es. O ganisa ions ha pe cei e in elligen au oma ion as s a egi-
cally aluable a e mo e likely o p io i ise i s adop ion and alloca e he
necessa y esou ces o implemen a ion. This inding is consis en wi h
ha o Coombs e al. (2020), who iden i ied pe cei ed s a egic alue as
a c i ical ac o in he adop ion o ad anced echnologies. The s ong
ela ionship be ween s a egic alue and in elligen au oma ion un-
de sco es he impo ance o communica ing he angible bene i s o
au oma ion such as enhanced e iciency, inno a ion, and cus ome
sa is ac ion o gain s akeholde buy-in and suppo . Mo eo e , he in-
di ec impac o digi alisa ion compe encies on in elligen au oma ion
h ough s a egic alue sugges s ha digi al compe encies play a c i ical
ole in shaping an o ganisa ion’s s a egic ou look, enabling i ms o
ecognise and capi alise on he po en ial bene i s o au oma ion.
In addi ion, he mode a e explana o y powe o he model o
in elligen au oma ion implemen a ion indica es ha digi alisa ion
compe encies, echnology abso p i e capaci y, and s a egic alue a e
signi ican bu no exhaus i e de e minan s o digi al ans o ma ion.
This inding highligh s he po en ial in luence o unmeasu ed a iables,
such as egula o y p essu es, indus y-speci ic dynamics, and o ganisa-
ional cul u e, which wa an u he in es iga ion in u u e s udies.
This ela i ely modes explana o y powe sugges s ha he adop ion o
in elligen au oma ion is a mul i ace ed p ocess in luenced by he
complex in e play o echnological, o ganisa ional, en i onmen al, and
human ac o s. Ghobakhloo e al. (2023) emphasised he ole o ex e nal
p essu es and s akeholde engagemen in shaping au oma ion adop ion,
which could be explo ed u he o enhance he p edic i e powe o he
model.
Conclusions
This s udy aimed o explo e he ela ionships among digi alisa ion
compe encies, echnology abso p i e capaci y, s a egic alue, and hei
impac on he implemen a ion o in elligen au oma ion. By empi ically
es ing he p oposed model, his s udy p o ides new insigh s in o he
dynamics o in elligen au oma ion adop ion, emphasising he in e play
among echnological capabili ies, abso p i e capaci ies, and s a egic
alignmen . The indings indica e ha digi alisa ion compe encies do no
di ec ly in luence in elligen au oma ion implemen a ion, challenging
he assump ions in p io li e a u e ha emphasise he di ec ole o
digi alisa ion in d i ing au oma ion. Ins ead, digi alisa ion compe-
encies we e ound o indi ec ly a ec in elligen au oma ion h ough
echnology abso p i e capaci y and s a egic alue, highligh ing he
media ing oles hese cons uc s play. Speci ically, echnology abso p-
i e capaci y has eme ged as a c i ical enable ha acili a es he in e-
g a ion o ex e nal knowledge in o in e nal p ocesses o suppo
in elligen au oma ion adop ion. This inding unde sco es he impo -
ance o building abso p i e capaci ies wi hin o ganisa ions o le e age
digi al compe encies e ec i ely.
Simila ly, s a egic alue was shown o be a signi ican d i e o
in elligen au oma ion implemen a ion, demons a ing ha o ganisa-
ions a e mo e likely o adop in elligen au oma ion when i s s a egic
bene i s such as ope a ional e iciency and compe i i e ad an age a e
well ecognised. These esul s emphasise he impo ance o aligning
au oma ion ini ia i es wi h b oade o ganisa ional goals o maximise
hei pe cei ed alue and ope a ional impac . While he ela ionships
be ween digi alisa ion compe encies, echnology abso p i e capaci y,
s a egic alue, and in elligen au oma ion a e suppo ed, he absence o
a signi ican di ec e ec o echnology abso p i e capaci y on s a egic
alue sugges s ha echnical capabili ies alone may no shape s a egic
pe spec i es. This inding poin s o he in luence o o he o ganisa ional
ac o s such as leade ship, cul u al alignmen , and s akeholde
engagemen in de e mining how in elligen au oma ion’s s a egic alue
is pe cei ed and le e aged.
These esul s hin a he necessi y o a mul i ace ed app oach o
in elligen au oma ion adop ion, in which i ms mus no only in es in
digi al skills bu also de elop abso p i e and s a egic capaci ies. O -
ganisa ions can be e posi ion hemsel es o success ully adop and
in eg a e in elligen au oma ion solu ions by os e ing an alignmen
be ween echnological, o ganisa ional, and s a egic elemen s. This
s udy con ibu es o he li e a u e on digi al ans o ma ion and au o-
ma ion by p o iding a heo e ical amewo k and empi ical e idence o
explain he de e minan s o he implemen a ion o in elligen au oma-
ion. These indings a e expec ed o guide p ac i ione s in designing
s a egies o he adop ion o in elligen au oma ion and in o m poli-
cymake s abou c ea ing suppo i e ecosys ems o digi al inno a ion.
Fu u e esea ch should in es iga e addi ional con ex ual and ex e nal
ac o s such as compe i i e p essu es and egula o y amewo ks o
enhance he unde s anding o in elligen au oma ion adop ion
dynamics.
Theo e ical implica ions
This s udy ad ances he heo e ical unde s anding o in elligen
au oma ion adop ion by le e aging he di usion o inno a ion heo y o
explain how o ganisa ions in eg a e in elligen au oma ion in o hei
ope a ions. In elligen au oma ion, which is cha ac e ised by he
con e gence o AI, BPM, and RPA, is a ans o ma i e echnology ha
eshapes business p ocesses and decision-making sys ems. As in elligen
au oma ion gains ac ion as a nea - e m p ac ical solu ion o p ocess
au oma ion, unde s anding he ac o s ha in luence i s implemen a ion
becomes c i ical.
This s udy en iches he emb yonic in elligen au oma ion li e a u e
by o e ing empi ical e idence on he de e minan s o in elligen au o-
ma ion implemen a ion and add essing he gaps in he exis ing esea ch.
By examining he in e play be ween digi alisa ion compe encies, ech-
nology abso p i e capaci y, and s a egic alue, his s udy iden i ies he
pa hways h ough which hese cons uc s in luence in elligen au o-
ma ion adop ion, aligning wi h he inno a ion decision p ocess ou lined
in he di usion o inno a ion’s amewo k. Speci ically, he s udy
highligh s he c i ical ole o echnology abso p i e capaci y and s a-
egic alue as media o s, demons a ing ha he success ul di usion o
in elligen au oma ion echnologies depends no only on echnological
eadiness, bu also on he o ganisa ion’s abili y o abso b, assimila e,
and s a egically align inno a ions. Fu he mo e, he indings con ibu e
o he di usion o inno a ion amewo ks by emphasising he indi ec
in luence o digi alisa ion compe encies on in elligen au oma ion.
While p io s udies on he di usion o inno a ion o en conside ech-
nological compe encies o be di ec enable s o inno a ion adop ion, his
s udy e eals ha such compe encies achie e hei ull po en ial when
in eg a ed in o abso p i e and s a egic capaci ies. This nuanced un-
de s anding ex ends he applicabili y o he di usion o inno a ion
heo y o complex, mul i-componen echnologies, such as in elligen
au oma ion, which equi e o ganisa ions o na iga e echnical, ope a-
ional, and s a egic challenges simul aneously. This s udy also high-
ligh ed he s a egic impo ance o pe cei ing in elligen au oma ion as
a alue-gene a ing inno a ion. Consis en wi h he di usion o in-
no a ion’s emphasis on ela i e ad an age as a key d i e o adop ion,
he esul s sugges ha i ms a e mo e likely o implemen in elligen
au oma ion when s a egic bene i s such as enhanced e iciency and
compe i i eness a e well a icula ed.
By g ounding i s analysis in di usion o inno a ion heo y, his s udy
M. Muba ik e al.
Jou nal o Inno a ion & Knowledge 10 (2025) 100675
8
