The primary objective of the project will be to research trends, issues, and ‘next practices’ in CIO-Board relationships, including testing the following hypotheses:
- Companies with Board/CIO alignment outperform their peer group (for example, ROIC, Capital Management).
- Board/CIO alignment directly correlates to corporate IT satisfaction.
- Board/CIO alignment can create more aggressive risk management strategies.
- Industries often look at CIOs through the same lens, but there are a few industries that can be looked upon as leaders in creating effective Board/CIO relationships.
Key questions
The project will seek to answer several key questions regarding the CIO-Board relationship:
Board questions to be answered:
- Describe your current relationship with your CIO.
- How important is the CIO/IT? Does the Board see a relationship between IT and shareholder value?
- What makes a good CIO from the Board’s perspective?
- What expectations do you have of the CIO?
- What recommendations would you give to CIOs who want to build strong Board relationships?
- How do you work issues with CIOs?
- How often do you review IT strategies?
- What topics do you usually discuss with CIOs?
CIO questions to be answered:
- How do you work issues with Board members?
- How often do you participate in Board meetings?
- What recommendations would you give CIOs who want to develop a relationship with the Board?
- What are the keys to successful Board interactions?
- What are barriers to effective dialogues between Boards and CIOs?
- Describe the topics you usually discuss with Boards.
- How do Board members view the role of the CIO in your company?
- Are there Board committees that CIOs most effectively serve?