The Key Role of Managerial Capabilities in AI Adoption: The Case of Companies Operating in Tunisia

Refka Mediouni, Moetez Khemiri

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) represents a major strategic challenge for companies, a challenge that is strongly conditioned by the managerial capabilities of their leaders. In Tunisia, mastery of these competencies has become an essential issue for developing effective and context-appropriate AI integration strategies. The objective of this research is to examine the impact of managerial capabilities on AI adoption in companies operating in Tunisia. A questionnaire was distributed to a representative sample of executives and senior managers from various economic sectors, selected using a probabilistic sampling method to ensure representativeness. The results highlight that general digital maturity is a necessary but insufficient condition for AI adoption. For Tunisian decision-makers, the challenge is no longer merely to “digitize,” but to transform leadership in order to manage complexity and risk. The study suggests moving beyond conservative visions and strengthening AI-specific training to overcome execution constraints.