Beyond Shiny AI Promises: Focusing on Social Factors of Implementation Success

Despite substantial investments, many AI initiatives do not generate expected productivity gains, pointing to persistent socio-technical misalignment. Drawing on social-technical systems theory, this conceptual paper examines organizational culture and AI ethics as two distinct yet structurally connected conditions of AI implementation success. Organizational culture is theorized as the contextual condition shaping how AI systems are embedded, whereas AI ethics is conceptualized as the normative condition guiding their development, deployment, and governance across contexts. The paper conceptually discusses their relevance and interplay, derives propositions, and outlines empirical directions for future research.