1 September 2026
This is the conclusion of new research by Bart Lameijer and Jeroen de Mast of Amsterdam Business School.
Organisations are investing heavily in digital technologies, including data analysis and artificial intelligence. However, technology alone does not automatically lead to better processes, products or services. The researchers show what else is needed: a working environment in which employees have a say in their work, can learn and collaborate effectively.
Lameijer and De Mast are both affiliated with the Business Analytics section of Amsterdam Business School. They analysed data from nearly 38,000 managers in 28 European countries. They used data from 2 separate periods, 2013 and 2019. The findings show that data analysis contributes to organisational performance primarily by supporting innovation. Organisations can use data, for example, to renew processes, products and services. The technology itself has a relatively limited direct effect on performance. The benefits increase when employees are involved in how data and AI are applied. They can then translate new insights more effectively into improvements in their daily work.
The research builds on the sociotechnical systems approach. This approach holds that technology and the way work is organised are closely interconnected. Data and AI create more value when organisations see employees as more than users of a new system. Employees should also be able to contribute to improving work processes. This means giving them room to make decisions, investing in their development and ensuring that teams share knowledge and insights. In such an environment, employees can turn data-driven insights into practical solutions and innovation.
The findings are in line with the discussion within UvA Economics and Business on the adoption of AI. Dean Roel Beetsma recently emphasised that the value of AI does not lie solely in individual use. It also lies in redesigning work, organisations and decision-making.
The research supports this view with data from 28 European countries. For organisations, this means that an AI strategy needs to involve more than sound data, models and technical infrastructure. Important questions also include: who can work with the new insights, who has the opportunity to improve processes, and how do technical specialists, professionals and managers collaborate?
This is also where the university has an important role to play. At UvA Economics and Business, expertise in data analysis, operations management, organisational studies and AI comes together with practical challenges.
In initiatives such as the AI4Business Lab, students and organisations work together on concrete AI and data challenges. The new research shows why this connection matters. Responsible and valuable use of AI requires more than technological knowledge. It also requires critical thinking, collaboration and attention to how work is organised. The best ideas still emerge between people.
The article Sociotechnical synergy: how employee involvement unlocks the value of data analytics was published in 2026 in the International Journal of Operations & Production Management. The authors examined the relationship between operational data analysis, employee involvement, innovation capability and organisational performance. They used data from the European Company Survey of 2013 and 2019.