What is a Chief Privacy Officer? An Analysis Based on Mintzberg\u27s Taxonomy of Managerial Roles

Given the growing concern over information privacy abuse, potential lawsuits, and threats of increased government privacy legislation, an increasing number of firms are resorting to Chief Privacy Officers (CPOs) as a means to cope with information privacy. However, little is yet known about the job responsibilities and roles of this emerging corporate position. This study examines the critical managerial roles of CPOs. Drawing from in-depth interviews at three large firms and from secondary sources of data, this study uses Mintzberg\u27s framework for managerial work to develop a taxonomy of key managerial roles for the emerging position of Chief Privacy Officer. From our analysis, we conclude that Chief Privacy Officers function with role responsibilities in four main areas: informational (monitor, disseminator, spokesperson), interpersonal (figurehead, liaison), conflict management (disturbance handler, negotiator), and strategic management (entrepreneur). Our analysis also suggests that no single managerial role is most important. Rather, multiple roles are required of CPOs. To meet these multiple role requirements, effective CPOs must possess strong business, communications, and technical skills. Our results suggest that Chief Privacy Officers tend to operate at high levels of organizational hierarchies as evidenced by the importance of their externally related job roles of figurehead, liaison, and spokesperson

Getting Information Systems Programs Classified as STEM: A U.S.-based Perspective from an AIS Task Force Study and Panel Discussion

Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) is a designation for educational degree programs that have certain benefits that non-STEM programs do not. To achieve a STEM classification, a program must meet certain criteria. Programs in the natural sciences, engineering, and math departments often readily meet these criteria. However, although programs such as information systems, information technology, and business intelligence have technology at their core, these programs, especially in business colleges, often face difficulties in meeting the STEM criteria. In this paper, we review the STEM designation and provide insight into information systems and related degree programs that have received this designation based on findings from an AIS task force and an AMCIS panel discussion

Effective Information Security Requires a Balance of Social and Technology Factors

Industry experts have called for organizations to be more strategic in their approach to information security, yet it has not been clear what such an approach looks like in practice or how firms actually achieve this. To address this issue, we interviewed 21 information security executives from 11 organizations. Our results suggest that a strategically focused information security strategy encompasses not only IT products and solutions but also organizational integration and social alignment mechanisms. Together, these form a framework for a socio-technical approach to information security that achieves three objectives: balancing the need to secure information assets against the need to enable the business, maintaining compliance, and ensuring cultural fit. The article describes these objectives and the security alignment mechanisms needed to achieve them and concludes with guidelines that can be applied to ensure effective information security management in different organizational settings

Getting Information Systems Programs Classified as STEM

STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and math. This is a designation that we’ve heard about in higher education, particularly in North America and the United States, for several years now, and programs that fall under STEM can receive benefits beyond what others receive. So, you may be thinking, “I teach technology, and my school’s degree program is information systems, information technology, business intelligence, or some technology related major. So, it must be STEM, right?” Not necessarily. To be classified as STEM a program must fit a special set of pre-defined criteria. This panel is designed to help schools determine if their programs are a good fit for STEM designation and if so, how to navigate the steps toward gaining that designation