We conceptualize the new phenomenon of the Fractional Chief Information Officer (CIO) as a part-time executive who usually works for more than one primarily small- to medium-sized enterprise (SME) and develop promising avenues for future research on Fractional CIOs. We conduct an empirical study by drawing on semi-structured interviews with 40 individuals from 10 different countries who occupy a Fractional CIO role. We derive a definition for the Fractional CIO, distinguish it from other forms of employment, and compare it with existing research on CIO roles. Further, we find four salient engagement types of Fractional CIOs offering value for SMEs in various situations: Strategic IT management, Restructuring, Rapid scaling, and Hands-on support. The results reveal similarities with existing CIO roles as well as novel insights concerning the different engagement types. Lastly, we propose a research agenda for the Fractional CIO field, based on four research themes derived from existing CIO research and insights from the interviews.

Purpose -The design and execution of business processes are important drivers of organizational performance. Organizations design their operations around cross-functional processes, adopting business process management (BPM) methods, tools, and systems. This often involves assigning BPM accountability to senior executives such as the Chief Operating Officer (COO), Chief Information Officer (CIO), or Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Some organizations appoint a Chief Process Officer (CPO), a phenomenon raising important questions about the skills and responsibilities of this position within the top management team. We therefore conduct an empirical study to explore the skills and responsibilities of CPOs and differences to other executives.Design/methodology/approach -We conducted an exploratory content analysis of job resumes from LinkedIn.com to investigate the skills and careers of individuals appointed as COO, CIO, CTO, and CPO in organizations from different industries and sizes. The content analysis was complemented with expert interviews of CPOs to obtain rich insights into their perception of the responsibilities of this position.Findings -CPOs possess a unique skill set to serve as change agents. Their skills enable them to serve as integrators and influencers across managerial ranks and corporate functions. COOs, CIOs, and CTOs possess more specialized skills related to their corporate function, whereas CPOs are more generalists who facilitate process-oriented strategy and execution, driving cultural change throughout the organization. These findings are consistent across industry and size.Originality/value -This is the first paper to examine the CPO position in relation to other senior executive positions. Hence, it addresses an important gap in the BPM literature which can help organizations to make informed decisions whether they need a CPO position or have it become a part-time role of one of their existing C-level positions.

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As information technology (IT) becomes more important for organizations, the necessity for strategic IT management and alignment grows. However, most small-to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) do not have the resources or appeal to employ a full-time Chief Information Officer (CIO). Refraining from assigning such responsibilities can have severe consequences on an organization's performance. To address this gap, several individuals already follow the role of holding CIO positions at multiple SMEs, each with a fraction of their time. While the so-called "Fractional CIO" role is already creating value in practice, there is no research on Fractional CIO engagements. This paper develops a research framework for Fractional CIO engagement success based on interviews with 40 Fractional CIOs from 10 countries and existing literature. The components influencing success are the Fractional CIO, the client, their relationship, and the engagement setup. The paper contains implications for theory and practice and outlines detailed next steps.

ZusammenfassungTrotz der Relevanz und des Reifegrads des Forschungsbereichs Chief Information Officer (CIO) gibt es nur wenige Studien, die den aktuellen Wissensstand objektiv und umfänglich zusammenfassen. Die vorliegende Arbeit schließt diese Forschungslücke und präsentiert eine umfassende Literaturübersicht über das CIO-Forschungsfeld unter Verwendung der Hauptpfadanalyse. Anhand einer quantitativen und qualitativen Analyse von 438 Forschungsbeiträgen werden die zentralen Arbeiten in der CIO-Forschung und verschiedene Forschungsrichtungen identifiziert. Es zeigt sich, dass sowohl etablierte Forschungsrichtungen, wie z. B. ‚Entwicklung der CIO-Rolle‘ und ‚Hierarchische Position und Beziehungen des CIOs‘, als auch neu entstehende Forschungsrichtungen, wie z. B. ‚CIO als Business Enabler‘, wachsende Aufmerksamkeit auf sich ziehen. Auf der Grundlage der Ergebnisse werden vielversprechende weitere Wege auf dem Gebiet der CIO-Forschung aufgezeigt, z. B. solche, die den Einfluss neuerer Technologien untersuchen.