Leadership in Technology - The Defining Impact of CIO Personalities on Shaping IT Advancement

Our study aims to examine the impact of Top IT Executive personality traits on IT advancement. Drawing on the Big Five Personality Framework and Upper Echelons Theory, we propose that CIOs’ openness to experience and extraversion drive IT exploration, while their conscientiousness and agreeableness promote IT exploitation. Moreover, these relationships are moderated by the depth of the organizational hierarchy. We plan to collect data from Chief Information officers (CIO) executives across industries, additionally incorporating data from IT reports and expenditure breakdowns. Our study provides insights into the influence of CIO personalities on shaping IT advancement, offering practical implications for aligning traits with organizational IT priorities to enhance leadership effectiveness.