Chief Digital Officers’ Evolving Strategies: Balancing Lightweight and Heavyweight IT During the Digital Transformation

Abstract

In this paper, we investigate how chief digital officers (CDOs) deal with the digital transformation over time. The study is based on interviews with the CDOs of 26 Norwegian organizations, conducted over a three-year period. Our analytical lens involves differentiating between the knowledge regimes of heavyweight and lightweight IT. Based on the CDOs’ perceptions, we identify three important shifts related to strategic, technological, and methodological aspects, all indicating a more balanced approach to the interplay of heavyweight and lightweight IT. We contribute to the literature on the digital transformation and CDOs’ contribution, and to the theory of lightweight vs. heavyweight IT.