There is a slight disconnect between how chief information officers see their duties and how executives see the duties of the CIO. While the former places a premium on operational duties, the latter views CIOs as having more of an innovative role in a business, according to a new study from International Data Corporation.
According to the study, 40.7 percent of CIOs view their duties as operational, 34 percent view themselves as services managers and 25.3 percent view themselves as innovation officers. However, 40.9 percent of line-of-business executives view their CIO as an innovation officer, and just 27.5 percent view their CIO as having an operational role.
Analysts suggest this disconnect indicates challenges with the changing role of the CIO. "CIOs who stay operational will find themselves further marginalized over the next three years," said Mike Jennett, vice president of research for enterprise mobility in DC's IT Executive Program. "For these executives to stay relevant, they must shift their focus to transformation and innovation and incorporating those innovations into their stable infrastructures. 'Just keeping the lights on' will lead the business to find other sources for technology leadership and innovation."
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