Leveraging AI-driven knowledge networks for sustainable business model innovation: the mediating role of absorptive capacity and the moderating role of sustainable entrepreneurial orientation

What is it about?

Artificial intelligence can help organizations develop more sustainable ways of doing business, but AI tools alone are not enough. This study examines how AI capability, innovation networks, and knowledge-sharing culture support sustainable business model innovation. Using data from 400 valid responses from business-school-affiliated respondents in China, the study shows that organizations benefit most when they can absorb, understand, and apply knowledge from AI systems and external networks. This ability, called knowledge absorptive capacity, helps turn digital information and shared knowledge into practical sustainability actions. The study also finds that sustainable entrepreneurial orientation strengthens some of these effects, especially when organizations actively connect innovation, risk-taking, and sustainability goals. The findings suggest that managers should not only invest in AI technologies, but also train people to interpret AI-generated knowledge and use it for sustainable innovation.

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