Date of Conferral

8-12-2026

Date of Award

August 2026

Degree

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)

School

Management

Advisor

Ashley Riebel

Abstract

Ineffective artificial intelligence (AI) implementation strategies can undermine transparency and ethics in AI technology use for organizational performance and diminish employee productivity. Without these strategies, information technology (IT) leaders risk reduced employee productivity, lower organizational adoption of AI technologies, and inequitable outcomes. The purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to identify and explore effective strategies IT leaders use to implement transparent, ethical AI technologies to improve employee productivity. The conceptual framework that grounded this project was transformational leadership theory. The project participants were six IT business leaders in the United States with experience implementing AI technologies within their organizations. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and cross-referenced through publicly available documents. Thematic analysis of the data revealed six themes: (a) transformational leadership in AI implementation; (b) governance, ethics, and risk management; (c) strategic and value-driven implementation; (d) human-centered AI and equity; (e) culture and organizational readiness; and (f) capacity building. A key recommendation is for IT leaders to adopt a comprehensive AI implementation framework that integrates transformational leadership, ethical governance, workforce development, organizational readiness, and human-centered design to support transparent and equitable AI adoption. The implication for positive social change is the potential for IT leaders to contribute to the responsible and ethical implementation of AI, fostering greater trust, equitable workplaces, meaningful innovation, and positive outcomes for individuals, organizations, and communities.

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