Four decades of CEO–TMT interface research: A review inspired by role theory

The CEO-TMTinterface, defined asthelinkageand interaction between theCEO and othertopmanagers, has receivedincreasingattentionfromscholarsindifferentdisciplines.ThisstreamofresearchaimstounveilhowCEOs andotherexecutivesinteract withoneanother,influenceeachother,andbecomeinvolvedincollectiveactivities that shape thefate of organizations. Yet, despite the burgeoning interest in this area, extant CEO-TMT research is characterizedbyvariousanddisconnectedassumptionsabouttheinterfacingrolesthroughwhichCEOsandTMTs exercise strategic leadership. Drawing on role theory, we review extant CEO-TMT interface research in different disciplines, and systematically organize the various CEO-TMT role assumptions into three role-theory specifications: functionalism, social-interactionism, and structuralism. In taking stock of the three role specifications, we provide a critique of the strengths and boundaries of each, and chart directions toward an integrated ‘multirole’ understanding of the CEO-TMT interface in strategic leadership.