With a continuous stream of emerging technologies, organizations are increasingly seeking to digitally transform their business towards ever efficient, intelligent, and self-learning business models. As the recognized head of IT, the Chief Information Officer (CIO) is often tasked with the responsibility of successfully implementing Digital Transformation (DT) initiatives. While there are independent studies on CIO role, and on the impact of DT, the role of CIO is not sufficiently examined in the DT context. This study fills this gap by conducting multiple case study of six organizations engaged in DT. Following the role theory, the study emphasizes the CIO as an actor focused on digital strategy and empirically delineates the multidimensional task demands associated with DT regarding the CIO role under the new strategic realities of the digital age. We find that while traditional CIO roles still apply, the DT context adds more nuances in such roles. Moreover, some new roles (e.g., legacy systems integration, risk management and IT security) have become crucial that are not adequately captured in extant literature on CIO roles.

随着新兴技术的不断涌现，组织越来越多地寻求将其业务数字化转型为高效、智能和自学习的业务模式。作为公认的 IT 主管，首席信息官 (CIO) 通常肩负着成功实施数字化转型 (DT) 计划的责任。虽然有关于 CIO 角色以及 DT 影响的独立研究，但 CIO 的角色在 DT 背景下尚未得到充分研究。本研究通过对六个从事 DT 的组织进行多个案例研究来填补这一空白。该研究遵循角色理论，强调CIO作为专注于数字战略的行动者，并根据经验描述了数字时代新战略现实下CIO角色与DT相关的多维任务需求。我们发现，虽然传统的 CIO 角色仍然适用，但 DT 环境在这些角色中增加了更多细微差别。此外，一些新角色（例如遗留系统集成、风险管理和 IT 安全）已变得至关重要，但现有有关 CIO 角色的文献并未充分阐述这些角色。