This study aimed to (1) examine AI capability’s effect on business model design, focusing on novelty and efficiency, (2) explore how customer integration moderates the relationship between AI capability and novelty and (3) assess how supplier integration moderates the relationship between AI capability and efficiency.
Grounded in dynamic capabilities theory and complementarity theory, this research investigated causal links among AI capability, customer integration, supplier integration, novelty and efficiency. Data from 490 valid questionnaires, collected via a survey of Chinese manufacturing firms, were analyzed using hierarchical regression to explore these complex relationships.
The study revealed that (1) AI capability positively affected both novelty and efficiency in business model design, (2) customer integration amplified its positive effect on novelty and (3) supplier integration strengthened its positive effect on efficiency.
By integrating theoretical perspectives, this research clarifies the distinct moderating roles of customer and supplier integration in a cooperative supply chain context. It underscores AI capability’s role in shaping business model design, contributing novel insights into AI and supply chain literature.
