Post by Simone Pietro Ciccolella

Yesterday morning, I defended my Master’s thesis in Global Management and Politics at the Department of Business and Management of Luiss Guido Carli University, graduating with a final grade of 110/110 cum laude. Under the supervision of Rector Prof. Paolo Boccardelli, my research, titled “The Impact of Artificial Intelligence Regulation in the Tech Sector: The European Union AI Act Case”, investigates how Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 influences strategic innovation in technology companies operating in the European Union. Building on the Institution-Based View (North, 1990; Scott, 1995; Tywoniak & Peng, 2006; Peng et al., 2009) and an abductive qualitative research design (Timmermans & Tavory, 2012) based on eleven in-depth interviews, it develops a Process Model of Institutional Influence and Tech Corporate Adaptation. The findings indicate that the AI Act generates operational uncertainty, temporal misalignments, asymmetric institutional environments, and processes of institutional co-evolution. These four mechanisms reshape corporate governance and innovation strategies. The study contributes theoretically by extending the IBV and offers policy suggestions for EU policymakers, as well as managerial implications for tech managers. I am grateful to my supervisor and to Prof. Chiara Bartoli for their support throughout this journey.