Does the role of Chief Information Officer & Chief Digital Officer will remain in the future within the digital transformation of organizations? A literature review

Abstract

The appearance of the Chief Digital Officer (CDO) in the organizational structure has caused certain discussions in the literature and in practice towards the implications that this scenario has for the Chief Information Officer (CIO), where there is evidence of a lack of clarity regarding the dynamics of both roles and their future within the organizations. This article seeks to understand the panorama in which both roles are located, showing their characteristics and the perception about both roles by other members of the organization, considering the context of the digital transformation and the evolution in the interactions among stakeholders, as part of the emergence of new technologies and the cultural shift towards digitalization. In this sense, it is established how the CIO should focus on maintaining an optimal IT management, giving a more strategic vision to the area, while the CDO should lead the digital initiatives, understanding the journey of the consumers and looking for new opportunities to change the way of doing business. From this, it is established that although both roles will be necessary in the near future, the CDO will remain until the company is completely digitized, where an evolution of the role towards the search for innovation could be evidenced. Finally, it was evident how considering the differences between each organization, business leaders must be clear on their own context and their digital objectives, for them to have an appropriate action plan towards this evolution.