Doctoral Dissertation · 2026

Exploring the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Innovation within B2B Marketing Organizations

Abiodun Onifade · Doctor of Business Administration, Business Intelligence & Data Analytics · Westcliff University

Qualitative study15 B2B marketing professionals
United States

Problem

AI adoption is growing, but little is known about how professionals experience it day to day.

Study

Semi-structured interviews with 15 B2B marketing professionals.

Findings

Four themes on workflows, decisions, marketing practice and ethics.

Implication

Value comes from integration and capability, not adoption alone.

Introduction

The problem. AI is changing B2B marketing by improving operational efficiency, supporting decision-making and enabling data-driven customer engagement. Adoption keeps growing.

The gap. Little research has explored how B2B marketing professionals actually experience AI-enabled tools in their daily work, and how that shapes marketing execution, decision-making and ethical considerations.

Purpose

To explore the lived experiences of B2B marketing professionals using AI-enabled tools in organizations across the United States.

Theoretical foundation

Diffusion of InnovationEverett Rogers. How new technologies are adopted and spread through organizations.

Resource-Based ViewHow organizations create value from the resources and capabilities they build.

What I found

Execution and workflow integration

AI is part of everyday marketing execution. It sits inside workflows and mainly drives operational efficiency.

Influence on decision-making

AI supports decisions rather than making them. Professionals use it as a collaborator that informs their judgment.

Transformation of marketing practice

AI is transforming B2B marketing practice itself, moving from a tool toward a working capability.

Ethics, transparency and fairness

Ethical considerations come up in everyday use, not only at the policy level.

Organizational value comes not just from adopting AI, but from integrating it well, led by human expertise and built on organizational capabilities.

How value is created

AI tools→Workflow integration→Human expertise→Organizational capability→Business value

Study snapshot

15B2B marketing professionals

4major themes identified

USorganizations across the United States

NVivosupported qualitative analysis

Method

Qualitative research design
Semi-structured interviews, continued until data saturation
Participants recruited through snowball sampling
Thematic analysis supported by NVivo

Practical implications

Invest in capability, not just tools
Keep human judgment at the center of AI-supported decisions
Build transparency and fairness into everyday AI use

Limitations

Qualitative findings from 15 participants are not statistically generalizable
Snowball sampling and a US-only sample

Keywords

Artificial intelligenceB2B marketingMarketing innovationDecision-makingHuman–AI collaboration