Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Positions in Top Management Teams (TMTs): Just Another Copycat Behavior?

This research explores the diffusion of Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) positions in top management teams (TMTs) of modern organizations. Using institutional theory and through several propositions, it posits that memetic isomorphism plays a significant role in the evolution of CMO roles in TMTs. It studies various internal and external contingencies that promote or undermine the diffusion (mimicry and not mimicry) of CMO positions. These contingencies include market dynamism, R&D intensity, differentiation, concentration, diversification, growth, and TMT size. By studying how CMO positions evolve, this research will substantially contribute to marketing leadership, business strategy, and TMT literature, and it will improve our understanding of the CMO role as a signal of marketing significance in the firm.