Dr. Colin Schulz (l.), Prof. Dr. David Bendig (m.l.), Dr. Kathrin Haubner (m.), Prof. Dr. Johannes Kriebel (m.r.) and Prof. Dr. Stav Fainshmidt (r.)

How do the skills of corporate leadership influence the digital innovation capacity of manufacturing firms? A joint study by the University of Münster, the University of Hamburg, and Florida International University, published in the renowned journal Information Systems Research, shows that the knowledge and experience of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) play a decisive role in how industrial companies develop digital products and thus strengthen their innovation capabilities.

The researchers of this study analyzed companies over the course of a decade and found that the effect of CEO competencies strongly depends on the market environment: In stable markets, CEOs with technological expertise promote digital product innovations, while managers with a stronger business administration background tend to focus on other priorities. In dynamic, rapidly changing markets, however, this relationship reverses. In calm market phases, tech-savvy CEOs excel through their ability to identify technologies, support their leadership teams in technical decisions, and communicate the importance of digital product innovations within the organization. In volatile markets, business-oriented CEOs benefit from their strategic execution capabilities (e.g., through corporate acquisitions), which are necessary to quickly adapt to new market conditions. The study positions CEOs as key innovators within companies and provides new insights into when technological or business expertise is needed in top management to successfully shape digital transformation processes.

The successful completion of the research project also carries a tragic component for the researchers: Co-author Prof. Dr. Johannes Kriebel passed away during the final revision of the manuscript. His talent and passion for empirical analyses shape this work, which now forms part of his academic legacy.

The study “CEO Human Capital and Digital Product Innovation: A Dynamic Managerial Capabilities Perspective” was authored by Dr. Colin Schulz, Prof. Dr. David Bendig, Dr. Kathrin Haubner, Prof. Dr. Johannes Kriebel, and Prof. Dr. Stav Fainshmidt. The journal Information Systems Research is among the business-related academic journals that are classified in the highest research quality categories across numerous rankings (VHB-JOURQUAL3: A+; ABS: 4*; UT Dallas List, Financial Times 50) and is considered particularly prestigious in the field of information systems.

You can find the full article here: https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/full/10.1287/isre.2021.0553

Contact for inquiries:
Dr. Colin Schulz
University of Münster
Institute for Entrepreneurship
Leonardo-Campus 9, 48149 Münster
Email: colin.schulz@uni-muenster.de