Institutional Drivers of AI Adoption and Digital Transformation in Management Consulting: Evidence from Romania and Moldova
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Background. Digital transformation and artificial intelligence integration in management consulting drive industry restructuring, yet comparative empirical evidence from Central and Eastern Europe remains scarce. Methods. A mixed convergent-parallel design combined 73 semi-structured interviews and questionnaires (53 Romania, 20 Moldova). Qualitative analysis employed five complementary methods (TALL package): node distribution, normalized lexical frequencies, keyword-in-context analysis, Latent Dirichlet Allocation, and sentiment polarity analysis. Results were quantitatively triangulated in SPSS (N=64). Results. Country significantly associates with AI perception (χ²(3)=15.98, p=0.001, V=0.500), with skeptical attitudes appearing exclusively in Romania, and with digitalization level (χ²(2)=8.11, p=0.017). Digital maturity does not significantly correlate with internal innovation in the full sample (Kendall τ=0.12, p=0.429). Global affective polarity is symmetrical across countries (all p>0.4). Conclusions. AI adoption negotiation is moderated by institutional pressures: EU Structural Funds and regulations in Romania versus bilateral grants in Moldova. Results refine the extended TOE framework for emerging markets, generating evidence-based policy recommendations for professional associations and EU institutions.
Source: Systems
Institution: Bucharest University of Economic Studies
Language: English
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,896
OpenAlex ID: W7212154822