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CIO Effectiveness in Higher Education

Presenter: Wayne Brown, Johnson County Community College

This study in higher education institutions in the United States examined some of the common anecdotal conclusions about variables and circumstances which may impact a CIO’s effectiveness.
In 2004, this nationwide research was conducted in the four year college to create a detailed, optimal description of an effective and successful CIO within a higher education environment, and the results provided some insight into effective IT leadership. In 2006, the study was extended to the two year college.

By examining CIO attributes and roles; membership on the management team; an organization’s strategic view of IT; and the impact a centralized or decentralized IT organization has on a CIO’s effectiveness, this research highlighted the circumstances under which IT leaders, and consequently the IT department and institution, have the best chance of success.
The study examined variables from the perspective of the institution management team (IMT) as reported through a survey as well as other CIO effectiveness variables through the eyes of the CIO, the CIO’s place in the organization’s hierarchy, and the extent of the deployment of technology throughout the organization. Both the IMT and CIO survey listed expectations an organization may have of a CIO and asked the respondent to rank the importance of the items as well as rate the CIO on how well he performed on each item.

The results have shed light on the attributes a CIO should have in order to be viewed as effective. It also revealed some of the differences between the two and four year CIO.