Chairman's IT background and enterprise digital transformation: Evidence from China

This paper explores the impact of the chairman's IT background on the digital transformation of enterprise. We find that the chairman's IT background helps facilitate the digital transformation of enterprises. This effect is more pronounced in firms with more powerful chairmen and higher uncertainty in the firm's environment. Further evidence suggests that chairmen with IT career experience are more effective in leading the digital transformation of enterprises than chairmen with IT educational experience. This study contributes to the existing literature on the economic implications of a board chairman's personal attributes, offers insights into Chinese business leaders' IT practices.