Why we need to rethink management
Dear readers,
Artificial intelligence (AI) is far more than just a technological trend. It is transforming how we do business, how we make decisions, and how we lead. And it raises urgent questions—not just for developers or IT departments, but for all of us who shape organizations: as leaders, as people with responsibility, as human beings.
I have been working for many years on the challenges of modern leadership and systemic organizational development. One thing has become increasingly clear to me: we cannot integrate AI effectively if we view it purely as a technical tool. We need a conceptual framework that not only considers the human element, but places it at the centre.
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This conviction became the starting point for my contribution to the current Springer book „Wie die Künstliche Intelligenz die Wirtschaft verändert“ (How artificial intelligence is changing the economy). The title of my chapter is: „Normative Grundlagen der KI-Nutzung: Das St. Galler Management Modell als Referenzrahmen“ (Normative foundations of AI use: The St. Gallen Management Model as a reference framework). In it, I combine two perspectives: the strategic-normative logic of the St. Gallen Management Model (SGMM) with the operational structure of the Integrated Management System (IMS). My goal: to show how we can embed AI meaningfully into corporate management without delegating responsibility or diluting values. |
AI can optimize processes, but only clear normative foundations make it future-proof for organizations.
What does that mean in concrete terms?
Many organizations today are faced with the challenge of digitalizing their decision-making and management processes. AI seems to be the perfect tool for this: it analyzes huge amounts of data in seconds, predicts developments and automates routines. And yet there is still a gap: Where is the human power of judgment? Who defines the ethical guard rails? How do we protect ourselves against automated distortions and blind logic?
This is where the normative view comes into play and this is precisely where the relevance lies for you as a manager who bears responsibility. Because it is not enough to "integrate" AI into existing systems. We need to think these systems further. Normative principles help to clarify key questions in advance:
- What is the purpose of our organization and how does AI fit in?
- Where does efficiency begin and responsibility end?
- What role does leadership play when machines make recommendations?
For you as a manager, this is not an academic exercise, but a strategic necessity. Anyone making decisions today must consider the impact of digital tools on employees, on the corporate culture and on the future viability of your organization. The interplay between SGMM and IMS, as I describe in the article, helps here: it provides orientation in the face of complexity and supports a holistic view of organizations that does not separate people and machines, but combines their potential.
Imagine a clockwork mechanism with gears that mesh together. AI is like a new cogwheel that promises high speed. But if the new cogwheel is too big, too hard or too fast, it throws the whole system out of balance. What is needed is not just technical fine-tuning, but an understanding of the entire movement. That is management. And that is the task of leadership.
AI can be an enormous lever for efficiency, for innovation and for new ways of working. But only if we think about it in terms of our values, our management logic and our strategic objectives.
My contribution in the Springer volume is an attempt to lay a solid foundation for precisely this. For managers who not only want to manage, but also to shape. For companies that not only want to become faster, but more effective. And for an economy that will continue to build on trust, responsibility and humanity in the future.
Yours, Daniel Keller
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My specialist article „Normative Grundlagen der KI-Nutzung: Das St. Galler Management Modell als Referenzrahmen“ (Normative foundations of AI use: The St. Gallen Management Model as a reference framework) is included in the anthology „Wie die Künstliche Intelligenz die Wirtschaft verändert“ (How artificial intelligence is changing the economy), published by Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden (2025).
👉 To download the article from Springer-Verlag |
Image source: Photo from rawpixel.com on Freepik
