IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/infsem/v20y2022i3d10.1007_s10257-022-00557-4.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Fractional CIO in SMEs: conceptualization and research agenda

Author

Listed:
  • Simon Kratzer

    (TU Dresden)

  • Andreas Drechsler

    (Victoria University of Wellington)

  • Markus Westner

    (OTH Regensburg)

  • Susanne Strahringer

    (TU Dresden)

Abstract

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Simon Kratzer & Andreas Drechsler & Markus Westner & Susanne Strahringer, 2022. "The Fractional CIO in SMEs: conceptualization and research agenda," Information Systems and e-Business Management, Springer, vol. 20(3), pages 581-611, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:infsem:v:20:y:2022:i:3:d:10.1007_s10257-022-00557-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s10257-022-00557-4
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10257-022-00557-4
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10257-022-00557-4?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ross, Stephen A, 1973. "The Economic Theory of Agency: The Principal's Problem," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 63(2), pages 134-139, May.
    2. James Y. L. Thong & Chee-Sing Yap & K. S. Raman, 1996. "Top Management Support, External Expertise and Information Systems Implementation in Small Businesses," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 7(2), pages 248-267, June.
    3. Jacob Haislip & Jee-Hae Lim & Robert Pinsker, 2021. "The Impact of Executives’ IT Expertise on Reported Data Security Breaches," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 32(2), pages 318-334, June.
    4. Bullen, Christine V. & Rockart, John F., 1981. "A primer on critical success factors," Working papers 1220-81. Report (Alfred P, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Sloan School of Management.
    5. Margareta Heidt & Jin P. Gerlach & Peter Buxmann, 2019. "Investigating the Security Divide between SME and Large Companies: How SME Characteristics Influence Organizational IT Security Investments," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 21(6), pages 1285-1305, December.
    6. Heidt, Margareta & Gerlach, Jin & Buxmann, Peter, 2019. "Investigating the Security Divide between SME and Large Companies: How SME Characteristics Influence Organizational IT Security Investments," Publications of Darmstadt Technical University, Institute for Business Studies (BWL) 118284, Darmstadt Technical University, Department of Business Administration, Economics and Law, Institute for Business Studies (BWL).
    7. Jensen, Michael C. & Meckling, William H., 1976. "Theory of the firm: Managerial behavior, agency costs and ownership structure," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 3(4), pages 305-360, October.
    8. Jürgen Bruns & Rüdiger Kabst, 2005. "Interim-Management: A Paradox for Leadership Research?," management revue - Socio-Economic Studies, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 16(4), pages 512-524.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Stefan Schweikl & Robert Obermaier, 2020. "Lessons from three decades of IT productivity research: towards a better understanding of IT-induced productivity effects," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 70(4), pages 461-507, November.
    2. Vanessa Carvalho Pereira & Antonio Gualberto Pereira & José Sérgio Casé Oliveira, 2023. "Influence of ownership structure on the choice of Big Four independent auditors," International Journal of Disclosure and Governance, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 20(3), pages 316-326, September.
    3. Kirathimo Muruga & Tatjana Vasiljeva, 2021. "Physicians' Dual Practice: A Theoretical Approach," Central European Business Review, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2021(5), pages 1-20.
    4. Adi Masli & Matthew G. Sherwood & Rajendra P. Srivastava, 2018. "Attributes and Structure of an Effective Board of Directors: A Theoretical Investigation," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 54(4), pages 485-523, December.
    5. Ernest Dautovic, 2019. "Has Regulatory Capital Made Banks Safer? Skin in the Game vs Moral Hazard," Cahiers de Recherches Economiques du Département d'économie 19.03, Université de Lausanne, Faculté des HEC, Département d’économie.
    6. Xin Qu & Majella Percy & Fang Hu & Jenny Stewart, 2022. "Can CEO equity‐based compensation limit investment‐related agency problems?," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 62(2), pages 2579-2614, June.
    7. Usman, Ojonugwa & Uwadiegwu, Ihedioha O. & Olorunmolu, Joseph O., 2015. "Debt Financing and Post-Privatization Performance of Firms: The Case of Nigerian Listed Firms," MPRA Paper 74921, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised Jul 2016.
    8. Hau Lee & Seungjin Whang, 1999. "Decentralized Multi-Echelon Supply Chains: Incentives and Information," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 45(5), pages 633-640, May.
    9. Robert E. Till & Mary Beth Yount, 2019. "Governance and Incentives: Is It Really All about the Money?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 159(3), pages 605-618, October.
    10. Shleifer, Andrei & Vishny, Robert W, 1997. "A Survey of Corporate Governance," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 52(2), pages 737-783, June.
    11. Kok, Seng Kiong & Shahgholian, Azar, 2023. "The impact of proximity within elite corporate networks on the Shariah governance-firm performance nexus: Evidence from the global Shariah elite," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    12. Bricker, Robert & Chandar, Nandini, 2000. "Where Berle and Means went wrong: a reassessment of capital market agency and financial reporting," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 25(6), pages 529-554, August.
    13. Maria del Mar Miras & Bernabe Escobar & Amalia Carrasco, 2014. "Are Spanish Listed Firms Betting on CSR during the Crisis? Evidence from the Agency Problem," Business and Management Research, Business and Management Research, Sciedu Press, vol. 3(1), pages 85-95, March.
    14. Yu, Zhen & Luo, Juncheng & Fan, Jinqi, 2024. "Bank loan approval standards and firms’ accounting conservatism: Evidence from China," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 67(PB).
    15. Markus Widmann & Florian Follert & Matthias Wolz, 2021. "On the Political Decision of Audit Market Regulation: Empirical Evidence of Audit Firm Tenure and Maximum Durations within the European Union," Economies, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-24, May.
    16. Justice Nyigmah Bawole & Peter Adjei-Bamfo, 2020. "Public Procurement and Public Financial Management in Africa: Dynamics and Influences," Public Organization Review, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 301-318, June.
    17. Thaler, Richard H & Shefrin, H M, 1981. "An Economic Theory of Self-Control," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 89(2), pages 392-406, April.
    18. Agu Sylvia U, 2016. "Instrumentalities for the Effectiveness of Measures of Public Accountability in Africa," SAGE Open, , vol. 6(2), pages 21582440156, April.
    19. Enzo Scannella & Salvatore Polizzi, 2021. "How to measure bank credit risk disclosure? Testing a new methodological approach based on the content analysis framework," Journal of Banking Regulation, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 22(1), pages 73-95, March.
    20. Robert C. Merton & Zvi Bodie, 2005. "Design Of Financial Systems: Towards A Synthesis Of Function And Structure," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: H Gifford Fong (ed.), The World Of Risk Management, chapter 1, pages 1-27, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:infsem:v:20:y:2022:i:3:d:10.1007_s10257-022-00557-4. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.