---
id: "prereq-remove-bottlenecks"
type: "prereq"
source_timestamps: ["§ A Diagnostic for Leaders"]
tags: ["organizational-readiness"]
related: ["concept-absorptive-capacity", "action-invest-in-absorptive-capacity"]
reason: "Advanced AI tools cannot generate field results if internal workflows and personnel prevent them from being deployed."
sources: ["spine"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-spine"
originDay: 1
articleStem: "hbr-tier1-04-ai-for-growth"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2026/06/companies-are-using-ai-for-efficiency-they-should-use-it-to-grow"
sourceTitle: "Companies Are Using AI for Efficiency. They Should Use It to Grow."
---
# Baseline Absorptive Capacity

Before a firm can deploy AI as a growth engine, it must have a **baseline of organizational flexibility**. If governance is too rigid to allow rapid A/B testing, or if personnel actively sabotage new tools, the technological investment will fail.

**Why it matters:** Advanced AI cannot generate field results if internal workflows and people prevent deployment — this is the readiness floor for [[concept-absorptive-capacity-d4]] and [[action-invest-in-absorptive-capacity]].