Dr. Thomas Schäper (left), Prof. Dr. David Bendig (middle left) and Dr. Robin Wagner (middle right) from the Institute for Entrepreneurship at the University of Münster, together with Prof. Dr. Johann Nils Foege (right) from Leibniz Universität Hannover.

A recently published study in the Journal of Information Technology offers new insights into the role of Chief Information Officers (CIOs) in digital innovation of companies. In their article "Shaping innovation outcomes: The role of CIOs for firms' digital exploration", Dr. Thomas Schäper, Prof. Dr. David Bendig and Dr. Robin Wagner from the Institute for Entrepreneurship at the University of Münster, together with Prof. Dr. Johann Nils Foege from Leibniz Universität Hannover, investigated how the diversity of career paths and length of service of CIOs influence digital innovation.

The researchers found that both the variety of CIOs' career paths and their role tenure have a curvilinear relationship with digital innovation.

These findings contribute to the existing literature by providing empirical evidence of the links between CIO career characteristics and digital exploration. At the same time, they offer practical applications for companies seeking to optimize their innovation strategies. The study highlights the strategic role of the CIO and shows that the career paths and tenure of CIOs can be critical to digital innovation.

The full text of the study is available at: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/02683962241258213