Information Systems Executives: A Review and Research Agenda

Due to the rising relevance of Information Systems (IS) for business, the strategic importance of IS executives has grown. Simultaneously, the digital transformation has led to radical changes in the role of IS executives. Even though numerous studies have explored IS executives from a wide repertoire of perspectives, no comprehensive literature review that portrays the state of knowledge on this topic exists. In this paper I systematically review literature on IS executives published in top publication outlets. Building on an existing theoretical framework I systemize knowledge on IS executives’ inputs, mediators and outcomes on the individual, team and organizational level across studies with diverse methodological approaches. Based on my analysis I identify topics that offer promising avenues for future research. I find that especially IS executives’ personality traits, IS executives’ relationship with the middle management and the impact of the digital transformation on IS executives have been mostly overlooked in existing literature