Editing Chief operating officer (section)

===Current situation===
Most modern companies operate without a COO.  For example,  in 2007 almost 58% of [[Fortune 500]] companies did not have a COO.<ref name=Gerut2010>{{Citation
| title = COOs: A Vanishing Breed
| url = http://www.cristassociates.com/press/AgendaWeek_08092010.pdf
| archive-url = http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20111222042255/http%3A//www.cristkolder.com/press/AgendaWeek_08092010.pdf
| url-status = dead
| archive-date = December 22, 2011
| date = August 9, 2010
| author = Gerut, Amanda
| journal = Agenda
| access-date = 2011-02-08
}}</ref> In these instances the CEO either takes on more roles and responsibilities, or the roles traditionally assigned to the COO are carried out by sub C-suite executives. Although the number of COOs has been in decline for the past 10 years,{{Clarify timeframe|date=August 2024|reason=Sources used in this section are older than 10 years}} there are reasons to anticipate an increased utilization of the position in the future, including:
* Companies are becoming larger and more complex, making it more difficult for one person alone to have total oversight over the whole organization.<ref name=hbr2006 />
* Companies are finding a strong relationship between firm performance and the presence of a COO.<ref name=Marcel2009>{{Citation
| title = Why top management team characteristics matter when employing a chief operating officer: a strategic contingency perspective
| doi = 10.1002/smj.763
| year = 2009
| author = Marcel, Jeremy J.
| journal = Strategic Management Journal
| pages = 647–658
| volume = 30
| issue = 6
}}</ref>
* Companies are becoming more deliberate about [[CEO succession]] planning and will use the role to on-board and train successors.<ref name=hbr2006 />
* The increase in talent mobility means that the role will likely be used more often as a retention mechanism for key executives who are at risk of moving to a competitor.<ref name=hbr2006 />