Elevating the top IS position to CIO

Transition to the chief information officer (CIO) position, which requires a clear vision of where one is going and a transition plan to get there, is discussed. Difficulties that some firms have experienced in establishing the CIO function are examined. They are attributed primarily to the rapid evolution of the CIO role. In order to investigate this evolution, the authors conducted a study of how CIOs allocated their time in the job which qualified them for promotion to CIO. The survey results showed strong priorities on human resource management and peer interaction activities. Strong statistical interactions were found to exist between many of the activities CIOs identified for successful promotion