Enhancing the Competitiveness of AI Technology-Based Startups in the Digital Era

Byunguk Lee, Boyoung Kim () and Ureta Vaquero Ivan
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Byunguk Lee: Seoul Business School, aSSIST University, Seoul 03767, Republic of Korea
Boyoung Kim: Seoul Business School, aSSIST University, Seoul 03767, Republic of Korea
Ureta Vaquero Ivan: Department of Business Economics, Health and Social Care, The University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, 6928 Manno, Switzerland

Administrative Sciences, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-15

Abstract: Artificial Intelligence (AI) startups possess four key attributes; being small enterprises, adopting AI technology, undergoing digital transformation, and using big data systems to enhance their competitiveness. This study aims to identify the key influencing factors needed to enhance the competitiveness of AI technology-based startups and to suggest a decision-making model to improve the technology and business competitiveness of AI startups in the digital era. To achieve this, the hierarchy concept framework was built with four evaluation areas based on the mechanism-based view theory, and the 16 evaluation factors that can influence were identified through existing literature, combining factors related to the digital transformation, technological application, and business competitiveness of the startups. These factors were analyzed using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) by the survey, targeting experts in South Korea. The analysis results indicate that the subject area was the most crucial for the business competitiveness of AI startups. It was also revealed that the subject’s strategic mind is the most significant factor to AI startups’ success. In the case of two control groups, categorized as ‘AI experts’ and ‘startup experts’, AI experts chose the subject as the most important area, whereas startup experts selected the environment, and significant differences were observed in all other factors. The results of this study will provide implications for strengthening the business competitiveness of AI startups and factors important for the growth of AI startups in this era.

Keywords: AI; startups; decision-making model; mechanism-based view; AHP (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L M M0 M1 M10 M11 M12 M14 M15 M16 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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