Many Australian CIOs believe their bosses are digital illiterates, according to research commissioned by CA Technologies. The software supplier engaged researcher Vanson Bourne to interview 30 local CIOs as part of a global research study, The future role of the CIO: digital literacy amongst senior executives, which was first published in August this year. The majority (83 per cent) of these CIOs believe their top level managers are digital illiterates and their lack of understanding about how technology can improve business could be affecting or hampering growth. Digital literacy is defined as an individual’s ability to understand how technology can be applied to business requirements. Vanson Bourne spoke to 685 CIOs worldwide – 30 in Australia – at companies with more than 500 employees in markets such as telecommunications, retail, financial and manufacturing sectors. Only 37 per cent of the Australian CIOs interviewed are involved in their company’s strategic decision making process, which impedes the thinking of senior managers about how technology can benefit their businesses. This leaves CIOs frustrated because they can’t drive technology conversations and are “on the outside of critical conversations where their understanding of technology could prove invaluable”. “Without the support of the senior management team, and an invitation at the top table, pioneering CIOs can remain powerless to transform the business,” Professor Joe Peppard, director of the IT leadership programme at the Cranfield School of Management said in the report. Bill McMurray, MD, Australia New Zealand at CA Technologies, echoed his sentiments: “CIOs are much more in tune with their businesses than they were 10 or 20 years ago. However, the CIO is fighting the belief that technology can create process efficiencies but it doesn’t deliver value on its own.” Still, McMurray believes that a CIO’s perspective around the lack of digital literacy is perhaps jaded by the fact that they have trouble communicating with other c-level executives. “CIOs truly understand technology but don’t necessarily know how to articulate that to other executive members of the organisation,” he said. “When I talk to CEOs and CFOs, I find they are more digitally literate than CIOs give them credit for. “A lot of CIO’s have a passion for technology but I don’t think it’s a passion for CEOs who are there to make a difference to the business. So when somebody comes to you with something that you don’t have a lot of interest in, it’s not a conversation that tends to get a lot of airplay.” “Most people on the business side are not completely digital literate and they don’t want to be. All they want to know is why [a particular technology] is good for the business.” Follow CIO Australia on Twitter and Like us on Facebook… Twitter: @CIO_Australia, Facebook: CIO Australia, or take part in the CIO conversation on LinkedIn: CIO Australia Related content feature 4 remedies to avoid cloud app migration headaches The compelling benefits of using proprietary cloud-native services come at a price: vendor lock-in. Here are ways CIOs can effectively plan without getting stuck. By Robert Mitchell Nov 29, 2023 9 mins CIO Managed Service Providers Managed IT Services case study Steps Gerresheimer takes to transform its IT CIO Zafer Nalbant explains what the medical packaging manufacturer does to modernize its IT through AI, automation, and hybrid cloud. By Jens Dose Nov 29, 2023 6 mins CIO SAP ServiceNow feature Per Scholas redefines IT hiring by diversifying the IT talent pipeline What started as a technology reclamation nonprofit has since transformed into a robust, tuition-free training program that seeks to redefine how companies fill tech skills gaps with rising talent. By Sarah K. White Nov 29, 2023 11 mins Diversity and Inclusion Hiring news Saudi Arabia will host the World Expo 2030 in Riyadh By Andrea Benito Nov 28, 2023 4 mins Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe