This is the moment: examining small business adoption of generative AI

Abstract

This study aims to examine the factors that contribute to small business adoption of generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. Historically, large firms have been the first adopters of new technologies; however, small businesses are increasingly becoming fervent adopters of generative AI. This narrowing divide suggests that generative AI functions as a democratizing force, offering lower entry barriers that allow smaller firms to compete on a global scale. Using the Motivation–Opportunity–Ability (MOA) framework as a theoretical lens, this research conceptualizes AI adoption as contingent upon motivational readiness, access to enabling opportunities and perceived ability to use AI tools. Furthermore, customer-oriented value and organizational growth mindset are introduced to complement the MOA by capturing the strategic and cultural conditions that influence AI adoption, or use-expansion intentions. A model enlisting an integrated MOA framework is tested using survey responses from small business owners and managers (n = 272). Structural equation modeling is used for data analysis. Findings indicate that perceived risk is negatively related to motivational readiness, while motivational readiness is positively related to AI use-expansion intentions. Opportunity is positively associated with both ability development and AI use-expansion intentions. Customer-oriented value and organizational growth mindset are positively related to AI use-expansion intentions. By examining organizational AI use-expansion intentions, this research applies the MOA framework and incorporates customer-oriented value to capture customer-centric strategic goals, and organizational growth mindset as an organizational, cultural capability-building condition. The findings demonstrate that AI use-expansion intentions among small businesses emerge from both facilitating conditions (motivation, opportunity and ability), the strategic relevance firms attach to AI, and the cultural contexts that support learning, experimentation and adaptation.