Neue Veröffentlichung auf der ICIS 2021

Der folgende Beitrag wurde auf der ICIS 2021 angenommen:

Metzler, D. R., Bankamp, S., Muntermann, J., and Palmer, M. 2021. “The Role of CDOs in Signaling Digital Transformation Endeavors: An Analysis of Firms’ External Communication Tools,“ in: Proceedings of the 42nd International Conference on Information Systems, Austin, Texas, AISeL.

Abstract:As part of their digital transformation, firms increasingly appoint Chief Digital Officers (CDOs). Existing research suggests that CDOs are appointed to drive and coordinate digital transformation activities and communicate digital transformation-related topics to stakeholders. However, the specific role of the CDO as a mediator between a firm and its external stakeholders, such as investors, remains unclear. Relying on signaling theory, we investigate whether CDO presence impacts digital transformation-related signaling in firms external communication tools. Indeed, our results show a strong positive association between CDO presence and the volume of digital transformation-related signals. Therefore, it can be assumed that CDO presence has the potential to contribute to reducing digital transformation-related information asymmetries between firms and external stakeholders. However, since our results show that less regulated communication tools are more likely to be used for digital transformation-related signaling than highly regulated ones, the reliability of such signals remains questionable.