Organizational support accelerating AI adoption in a professional service firm
Paananen, Petja (2026)
2026
Tuotantotalouden DI-ohjelma - Master's Programme in Industrial Engineering and Management
Johtamisen ja talouden tiedekunta - Faculty of Management and Business
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Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2026-02-03
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202602032230
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202602032230
Tiivistelmä
The emergence of artificial intelligence tools changes the idea of automatable work. It is argued that for the first time, automation concerns also the professional service industry. Artificial intelligence technologies’ general nature and ability to mimic human capabilities make it suitable for use in professional service firms. However, automation represents only the cutting of costs in these firms, while the augmentative ways of using AI can enhance individual and organizational value creation capacity.
This thesis aims to understand, firstly, how professionals can use Artificial Intelligence tools, especially the chat-based large language models to augment their work. Secondly, the ways Professional service firms can help professionals adopt and use AI more efficiently is examined.
The thesis utilizes qualitative case study to achieve these research objectives. The case company is a Finnish engineering design and consulting firm that operates on multiple industries. The adoption of a new AI tool started at the beginning of this thesis, and this thesis collects data and content along the adoption process evaluating the ways professionals use and learn AI as well as evaluating the different organizational support mechanisms to boost AI adoption. The primary data collection method is semi-structured interviews, which are sup-ported with participant observation, surveys and an internal documentation library of the case company. The content analysis is executed using the grounded theory method.
The findings suggest that in order to use AI to augment professional work, the users must engage in process-oriented use of AI. Instead of using AI to automate simple tasks the professionals use AI alongside a process to come up with more efficient ways of working. Also, different ways to boost AI adoption in professional service firms in the form of organizational support are presented. The support mechanisms include different resources and structures needed to adopt AI efficiently as well as the creation of suitable cultural environment that encourage AI use.
This thesis contributes to existing literature by examining different organizational support mechanisms, which have so far received little academic attention. Also, this thesis concretizes the concept of augmentative use of AI in professional services.
This thesis aims to understand, firstly, how professionals can use Artificial Intelligence tools, especially the chat-based large language models to augment their work. Secondly, the ways Professional service firms can help professionals adopt and use AI more efficiently is examined.
The thesis utilizes qualitative case study to achieve these research objectives. The case company is a Finnish engineering design and consulting firm that operates on multiple industries. The adoption of a new AI tool started at the beginning of this thesis, and this thesis collects data and content along the adoption process evaluating the ways professionals use and learn AI as well as evaluating the different organizational support mechanisms to boost AI adoption. The primary data collection method is semi-structured interviews, which are sup-ported with participant observation, surveys and an internal documentation library of the case company. The content analysis is executed using the grounded theory method.
The findings suggest that in order to use AI to augment professional work, the users must engage in process-oriented use of AI. Instead of using AI to automate simple tasks the professionals use AI alongside a process to come up with more efficient ways of working. Also, different ways to boost AI adoption in professional service firms in the form of organizational support are presented. The support mechanisms include different resources and structures needed to adopt AI efficiently as well as the creation of suitable cultural environment that encourage AI use.
This thesis contributes to existing literature by examining different organizational support mechanisms, which have so far received little academic attention. Also, this thesis concretizes the concept of augmentative use of AI in professional services.