FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Transition Partners Co.
703/736-0550, ext. 46
703/794-1100
FEW CIOs SAY THEIR CEO IS COMFORTABLE WITH INFO TECHNOLOGY
But CEOs Have Higher Opinion of Own Abilities
RESTON, VA — Few Chief Information Officers think their CEO is comfortable with information technology, according to a survey of 103 CIOs by Reston, VA consulting firm Transition Partners. Only 23 percent consider their CEO's comfort level high, while 43 percent said adequate and 34 percent low.
In a comparable survey the firm conducted among CEOs, 49 percent of the chief executives rated their own IT comfort level as high, 45 percent as adequate and only six percent as low.
"On the surface, this finding is amusing," said Transition Partners' Tom Pettibone, who conducted the research. "IT people tend to deprecate others' understanding of the technology, while senior management are confident of their own ability to cut through the hocus pocus. But the data also suggest many CIOs' lack respect for their CEO's capabilites and that can have a detrimental impact on development and implementation of IT strategy."
Asked how informed the CEO is about the IT organization's service delivery and performance, the responses once again diverged:
CEOs' Opinion |
CIOs' Opinion |
|
| generally well informed | 85% |
53% |
| informed only when there's a problem | 15% |
37% |
| usually ill informed | 0% |
10% |
But when it comes to who's at fault when the CEO is not adequately informed, CIOs and CEOs were generally willing to share the blame:
CEOs' Opinion |
CIOs' Opinion |
|
| mostly CIO's fault | 4% |
19% |
| both their faults | 70% |
65% |
| mostly CEO's fault | 26% |
16% |
Pettibone is pleased by the willingness of both CEOs and CIOs to share responsibility for any shortcomings in keeping the chief executive informed or any gaps in mutual understanding. "The IT blame game is a corporate sport in decline. Our findings reflect a new generation of CEOs that are more proactive and involved in IT, and less inclined to place the whole burden on their CIO."
Transition Partners is a management consulting firm headquartered in Reston, VA, that helps senior management with information technology strategy and delivery. This includes turnaround/interim IT management, senior IT staff assessment, strategy development, best practices, outsourcing facilitation and business continuity planning. For more information access Transition Partners on the Web at www.TransitionPartnersCo.com.
# # #