| Roles and leadership of the Chief Information Officer in | | | | the organization (Kaplan). The role of strategy |
| higher education | | | | implementer helps the CIO to ensure the alignment with |
| The CIO position | | | | campus strategies and technology, while top |
| Higher education is notoriously | | | | management plays the role of strategy formulator, |
| resistant to change, and if there is a trend toward | | | | articulating the business strategies for the entire |
| implementing chief information officer (CIO) positions | | | | organization. The IT manager must implement and |
| and aligning all technology units under these hierarchies, | | | | design the required IT infrastructure and processes to |
| the entire organizational structure will be affected | | | | support the chosen business strategy (Kaplan). |
| (O'Donnell, 1998). Due to the extensive literature on | | | | According to Kaplan the more fundamental role of |
| the chief information officers' (CIO) roles and | | | | the CIO is to run an efficient IT department with a |
| leadership, this paper reviewed only those that | | | | service or utility mentality. In addition, this individual must |
| empirical research and expert opinion deemed relevant | | | | understand the economics of technology and must be |
| to this research on business and higher education | | | | a good negotiator with vendors. With the second sort |
| settings. According to Horgan (as cited in Viswadoss, | | | | of CIO, the utility mentality will disappear because IT |
| 1999), the term Chief Information Officer (CIO) does | | | | operations are not the CIOs expertise (Kaplan). The |
| not have a clear operative definition in higher education. | | | | expertise is in communicating to business colleagues |
| Either there are other titles that perform a similar | | | | the importance of IT, and more importantly, in getting |
| executive leadership role for Information Technology, | | | | the IT governance right. It's a strategic mentality |
| or the same title holds different responsibilities in | | | | (Kaplan). |
| different institutions. Horgan (1996) stated that a CIO | | | | Prior Research's |
| could be a senior level administrator who participates in | | | | The CIO role is associated with behaviors that |
| the institution's executive council and who manages | | | | are implicit for success for the leaders and the |
| various information resources at an institution-wide | | | | organizational subunits they direct. Applegate and Elam |
| level. A CIO could also be a senior information | | | | (1992) stated that the structure or chosen strategy of |
| technology officer who provides high-level oversight | | | | the IS department somewhat directs the role adopted |
| for information technology-related operations and who | | | | by the CIO. When the function of IS is strictly a |
| works with heads or advisory groups of other | | | | supportive one, the top IS leader may only be a |
| information resources in planning for investing in | | | | technical expert and a merely competent manager. |
| technology, services, and information. Kaplan (2002) | | | | For example, Keen (1988) argued that many |
| stated, "The nature of CIO's job is changing because | | | | organizations choose their CIOs by promoting their |
| many CIOs today will have non-Information | | | | best technical managers without taking into account |
| Technology (IT) backgrounds, although this depends a | | | | their communication or business skills. However, when |
| great deal on the size of the company, the industry, | | | | the firm makes the change to using Information |
| and the markets they serve. The larger the company, | | | | Systems as one of the firm's competitive values, the |
| the more involved CIOs will be at a higher level with | | | | role of the top IS leader is necessarily extended. The |
| top management team developing strategies. The | | | | CIO must begin to act as a link between IS and other |
| smaller the company and industry, the more the job will | | | | executives in the firm. Earl (1989) suggested that |
| have operational and technical responsibility, but the | | | | successful top IS leaders see themselves as |
| key point is that we will see more CIOs coming from | | | | corporate officers and general business managers. |
| non-IT backgrounds to the field." (p. 72) | | | | The author argued that good political skills and a high |
| Another Point of View | | | | profile may place them in contention for top-line |
| Another point of view about the CIO | | | | management positions. Earl also delineated four |
| position is the officer as key executive, responsible for | | | | leadership attributes for IT leaders: (a) business |
| ensuring that the company's information technology | | | | leadership, linking the use of IS with the business needs |
| investments are aligned with its strategic business | | | | and strategy of the firm; (b) technology leadership, |
| objectives; the position's responsibilities have expanded | | | | drawing up and implementing technology policies; (c) |
| beyond the traditional role to include both strategic and | | | | organizational leadership, directing and steering IS |
| tactical duties as well as corporate policy direction | | | | structures and performing the controlling managerial |
| (Bryan, 1999). West's (1996) research reported that | | | | function to make them work, and (d) functional |
| the CIO position should be an executive level position | | | | leadership, managing the IS function and the |
| whose portfolio encompasses all aspects of | | | | accompanying specialist sub-groups. |
| information resources and technology, computing, | | | | A study conducted by Becker (as cited in |
| telecommunications, libraries, media centers, and | | | | Lineman, 2005) examines the degree of cognitive |
| instructional technology development (p.1). West also | | | | complexity that CIOs in colleges and universities |
| stated, that CIO position should provide executive with | | | | brought to the role. The study was based on the |
| the leadership to integrate all the information resources | | | | conceptual model developed by Bolman and Deal |
| and technology into the fabric of the institution. | | | | which synthesizes theories of organizational leadership |
| There is evidence to support the need for | | | | into four perspectives or frames: structural, human |
| companies to manage technology differently than in | | | | resource, political, and symbolic. The methodology |
| the past (Lineman, 2005). There is also evidence that | | | | included a survey questionnaire, documented analysis |
| the gap between managing the business and | | | | of job descriptions, curricula vitae, and semi-structured |
| technology was much too vast and that CEOs and | | | | telephone interviews of 12 randomly selected CIOs. |
| governing boards had to do something in order to | | | | The study found significant relationships between |
| remain competitive as well as viable for the future | | | | gender and the use of the structural human resources |
| (Kaplan, 2002). The development and refinement of | | | | frames and between the major area of study and the |
| the CIO position was one of the most significant | | | | structural frame. This study illuminated the importance |
| strategies to address bridging that gap. Woodsworth | | | | of the leadership component of the CIOs role and |
| (1987) conducted an initial descriptive study on the CIO | | | | further refined the profile of the chief information |
| position in higher education. She interviewed 28 of the | | | | officer developed by Pitkin (1993, 1994). This is an |
| 32 CIOs who were found in a prior study | | | | important work in the ongoing development of the CIO |
| (Woodsworth) among the 91 institutions that were | | | | in higher education. |
| members of the association of the research libraries. | | | | Brown's (2006) study examined how |
| Information was collected concerning the levels of | | | | effective and successful the CIO is within a higher |
| responsibility of the CIO for information technology | | | | education environment. The study group consisted of |
| units, the levels of participation in decision-making | | | | CIOs working in four-year higher education institutions |
| concerning the information technology (IT) units, the | | | | in the United States accredited by the U.S. Department |
| reporting levels of the CIO, and the biographic | | | | of Education. The study was based on prior CIO and |
| information. The results of the study indicated that | | | | management team research in the health care industry |
| CIOs reported equally to presidents and provosts and | | | | conducted by Detley Smaltz in 1999. The Brown study |
| that they tended to have responsibility for academic | | | | analyzed the CIO roles as business partner, provider |
| computing, administrative systems, and | | | | of classic IT support, overseer of IT contracts, |
| telecommunications, with only minor responsibility for | | | | integrator, informaticist and strategist, and IT educator. |
| library automation. | | | | The research found a correlation between the CIOs |
| The CIO roles | | | | strategic business knowledge, IT knowledge, |
| Synnot (1987) described a new high-level role | | | | interpersonal skills, and political savvy and their |
| for information managers and predicted that this role | | | | effectiveness as perceived by the IMT in all six CIO |
| would gradually expand as technology is woven into | | | | roles, indicating that these factors all have an impact |
| the fabric of an organization. The use of technology in | | | | on CIO effectiveness. |
| higher education has expanded beyond the | | | | Conclusion |
| administrative support function of accounting and | | | | While no empirical research could be located |
| registration to include teaching and learning-related | | | | directly examining the relationship of CIO role and |
| activities such as computer aided instruction, electronic | | | | institution and IT alignment extent in higher education, |
| document access, and distance learning. Lineman | | | | there is some empirical research showing a significant |
| (2005) states that higher education CIOs must | | | | correlation between the role of the CIO (Karimi and |
| understand the role that information technology can | | | | Gupta, 1996; Young, 2001) and the strategic orientation |
| play within the institution and be able to communicate | | | | (defender, prospector, analyzer, reactor) of the |
| that vision so that it is shared by others within the | | | | organization (Miles and Snow, 1978). This significant |
| institution. This knowledge and ability can come only | | | | correlation between CIO role and strategic orientation |
| from working closely with others within the institution | | | | led researcher to think that the IT and institution |
| and vendor community. Roan (2000) stated that | | | | alignment extent may increase with the CIO role in |
| CIOs must operate successfully in an environment | | | | higher education; this is due to the institutions' |
| where technology enables change. One option is to | | | | orientations within IS and to the emphasis on strategic |
| select staff from business functions to act as the | | | | and organizational aspects of IT. |
| front-line interface of the IT department. For this to be | | | | Karimi and Gupta (1996) define the CIO role |
| effective the staff chosen needs to be highly | | | | as "attributes that successful IT leaders should |
| knowledgeable and respected in their group and able | | | | possess" (p. 71). The role of the CIO is thought to be |
| to communicate with the IT specialists. They also need | | | | associated with behaviors that are implicit for the |
| to be good analysts (Roan). One option is to pick the | | | | success of the leaders and of the organizational |
| most articulate, engaging, and business-oriented of the | | | | subunits they direct. Applegate and Elam (1992) posit |
| IT staff to perform these roles (Roan). Perhaps they | | | | that the structure or chosen strategy of the IT |
| may have an MBA qualification or prior operational | | | | department somewhat directs the role adopted by the |
| experience. This poses a great challenge to those | | | | CIOs. When the function of IT is strictly supportive, |
| staff members to let go of some of their technical | | | | then the top IT leader may only be a technical expert |
| knowledge to focus on the business areas. Stepping | | | | and a merely competent manager. However, when |
| outside the comfort zone is not easy, and a trial period | | | | the firm begins to use Information Systems as one of |
| in the new role may confirm suitability (Roan). | | | | their competitive weapons, the role of the top IT leader |
| Kaplan (2002) found various fundamental roles | | | | may be necessarily extended. The IT leader then must |
| in the CIO position. The first role is the strategy | | | | begin to act as a link between IT and other executives |
| implementer, where IT management must understand | | | | in the firm. Earl (1989) even suggested that successful |
| the business terms, not just technology terms. As | | | | IT leaders see themselves as corporate officers and |
| Kaplan stated, "A big challenge for CIOs is that they | | | | general business managers. He says that good political |
| have to be competent at both, understanding | | | | skills and a high profile may place them in contention |
| technology and talking to their staffs about technical | | | | for top-line management positions. He goes on to |
| subjects, but when CIO is talking to the board or the | | | | delineate four leadership attributes for IS leaders: (a) |
| CEO, they don't want the conversation crowded with | | | | business leadership to link the use of IT with the |
| tech talk" (Kaplan, p. 10). | | | | business needs and strategy of the firm, (b) |
| Another role reported by Kaplan was the | | | | technology leadership to draw up and implement |
| consulting role; the CIOs required more technical | | | | technology policies, (c) organizational leadership to |
| knowledge than business knowledge and with | | | | direct and steer IT structures and to perform the |
| effective communication, they would play an essential | | | | controlling managerial function to make them work, and |
| part with clients. As a consultant, the CIO responsibility | | | | (d) functional leadership to manage the IT function and |
| is to determine and measure the impact of IT within | | | | the accompanying specialist sub-groups. |