CDO’s critical role in recrafting digital strategies

CDO’s critical role in recrafting digital strategies

CDOs are top managers typically tasked with initiating, conducting, and accelerating digital transformation across industries and countries . Digital transformation has opened the field for chief digital officers (CDOs)—an emerging top executive position that initiates and conducts digital initiatives across organizational functions. CDO’s new executive position need to play critical role in recrafting digital strategies and accelerating digital transformation if this function has to survive.  CDO’s role is scattered across different disciplines and publication outlets. Researchers need to conduct a systematic review that consolidates these initial gains in knowledge. A framework has to be worked out that organizes CDO research in three broad themes: antecedents of CDO presence, the CDO role, and consequences of CDO presence. Build on identified gaps to develop an extensive agenda for future research on CDOs and provide useful direction towards fruitful avenues for future research on CDOs.  Policy makers need to work out relevant insights on CDO appointments, governance, and performance consequences.

CDOs have begun to appear in various industries, including retail, finance and insurance, as well as manufacturing and construction.  Also, CDOs have not only had an impact on digital transformation in companies, but also in municipal governments. CDOs can innovate processes, coordinate digital transformation across departments, and overall, contribute to digital innovation performance.