Shaping Innovation Outcomes: The Role of CIOs for Firms’ Digital Exploration

Schäper, Thomas; Bendig, David; Foege, Johann Nils; Wagner, Robin

Research article (journal) | Peer reviewed

Abstract

Digital technologies have rapidly pervaded firms, industries, and economic networks. This development has raised expectations that a firm’s chief information officer (CIO) will take a more strategic role, including innovation leadership and digital exploration. In this study, we argue from an upper echelons perspective that CIOs’ career variety and role tenure are critical in shaping the extent to which firms explore digital technologies in their patent portfolio, that is, digital exploration. We expect a U-shaped relationship between CIO career variety and digital exploration, and an inverted U-shaped relationship between CIO role tenure and digital exploration. We test our conceptual model using a cross-industry panel of U.S. firms. As predicted, the results show high digital exploration for low and high career variety, and low digital exploration for moderate career variety, that is, a U-shape. Conversely, they show low digital exploration for low and high role tenure, and high digital exploration for moderate role tenure, that is, an inverted U-shape. These insights indicate that CIOs do become strategic leaders in exploring and shaping digital innovation.

Details about the publication

JournalJournal of Information Technology
VolumeOnline First
StatusPublished
Release year2024
Language in which the publication is writtenEnglish
DOI10.1177/02683962241258213
Link to the full texthttp://dx.doi.org/10.1177/02683962241258213
KeywordsChief information officer; career variety; role tenure; digital exploration; upper echelons perspective

Authors from the University of Münster

Bendig, David
Professur für Entrepreneurship (Prof. Bendig)
Foege, Johann Nils
Professorship for Innovation, Strategy and Organization (Prof. Foege)
Wagner, Robin Daniel
Chair for Entrepreneurship (Prof. Bendig) (ENT)