diff --git a/pkg/karmadactl/exec/exec.go b/pkg/karmadactl/exec/exec.go
index 663478d5d..0df1be5d6 100644
--- a/pkg/karmadactl/exec/exec.go
+++ b/pkg/karmadactl/exec/exec.go
@@ -36,27 +36,30 @@ const (
 
 var (
 	execLong = templates.LongDesc(`
-		Execute a command in a container in a cluster.`)
+		Execute a command in a container.`)
 
 	execExample = templates.Examples(`
+		# Get output from running the 'date' command from pod mypod, using the first container by default
+		%[1]s exec mypod -- date
+
 		# Get output from running the 'date' command from pod mypod, using the first container by default in cluster(member1)
-		%[1]s exec mypod -C=member1 -- date
+		%[1]s exec mypod --operation-scope=members --cluster=member1 -- date
 
 		# Get output from running the 'date' command in ruby-container from pod mypod in cluster(member1)
-		%[1]s exec mypod -c ruby-container -C=member1 -- date
+		%[1]s exec mypod -c ruby-container --operation-scope=members --cluster=member1 -- date
 
 		# Get output from running the 'date' command in ruby-container from pod mypod in cluster(member1)
-		%[1]s exec mypod -c ruby-container -C=member1 -- date
+		%[1]s exec mypod -c ruby-container --operation-scope=members --cluster=member1 -- date
 
-		# Switch to raw terminal mode; sends stdin to 'bash' in ruby-container from pod mypod in cluster(member1)
+		# Switch to raw terminal mode; sends stdin to 'bash' in ruby-container from pod mypod
 		# and sends stdout/stderr from 'bash' back to the client
-		%[1]s exec mypod -c ruby-container -C=member1 -i -t -- bash -il
+		%[1]s exec mypod -c ruby-container -i -t -- bash -il
 
 		# Get output from running 'date' command from the first pod of the deployment mydeployment, using the first container by default in cluster(member1)
-		%[1]s exec deploy/mydeployment -C=member1 -- date
+		%[1]s exec deploy/mydeployment --operation-scope=members --cluster=member1 -- date
 
 		# Get output from running 'date' command from the first pod of the service myservice, using the first container by default in cluster(member1)
-		%[1]s exec svc/myservice -C=member1 -- date`)
+		%[1]s exec svc/myservice --operation-scope=members --cluster=member1 -- date`)
 )
 
 // NewCmdExec new exec command.
@@ -95,6 +98,7 @@ func NewCmdExec(f util.Factory, parentCommand string, streams genericiooptions.I
 		},
 	}
 
+	o.OperationScope = options.KarmadaControlPlane
 	flags := cmd.Flags()
 	options.AddKubeConfigFlags(flags)
 	flags.StringVarP(options.DefaultConfigFlags.Namespace, "namespace", "n", *options.DefaultConfigFlags.Namespace, "If present, the namespace scope for this CLI request")
@@ -105,7 +109,8 @@ func NewCmdExec(f util.Factory, parentCommand string, streams genericiooptions.I
 	flags.BoolVarP(&o.KubectlExecOptions.Stdin, "stdin", "i", o.KubectlExecOptions.Stdin, "Pass stdin to the container")
 	flags.BoolVarP(&o.KubectlExecOptions.TTY, "tty", "t", o.KubectlExecOptions.TTY, "Stdin is a TTY")
 	flags.BoolVarP(&o.KubectlExecOptions.Quiet, "quiet", "q", o.KubectlExecOptions.Quiet, "Only print output from the remote session")
-	flags.StringVarP(&o.Cluster, "cluster", "C", "", "Specify a member cluster")
+	flags.Var(&o.OperationScope, "operation-scope", "Used to control the operation scope of the command. The optional values are karmada and members. Defaults to karmada.")
+	flags.StringVar(&o.Cluster, "cluster", "", "Used to specify a target member cluster and only takes effect when the command's operation scope is members, for example: --operation-scope=members --cluster=member1")
 	return cmd
 }
 
@@ -114,22 +119,31 @@ type CommandExecOptions struct {
 	// flags specific to exec
 	KubectlExecOptions *kubectlexec.ExecOptions
 	Cluster            string
+	OperationScope     options.OperationScope
 }
 
 // Complete verifies command line arguments and loads data from the command environment
 func (o *CommandExecOptions) Complete(f util.Factory, cmd *cobra.Command, argsIn []string, argsLenAtDash int) error {
-	if len(o.Cluster) == 0 {
-		return fmt.Errorf("must specify a cluster")
+	var execFactory cmdutil.Factory = f
+	if o.OperationScope == options.Members && len(o.Cluster) != 0 {
+		memberFactory, err := f.FactoryForMemberCluster(o.Cluster)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		execFactory = memberFactory
 	}
-	memberFactory, err := f.FactoryForMemberCluster(o.Cluster)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	return o.KubectlExecOptions.Complete(memberFactory, cmd, argsIn, argsLenAtDash)
+	return o.KubectlExecOptions.Complete(execFactory, cmd, argsIn, argsLenAtDash)
 }
 
 // Validate checks that the provided exec options are specified.
 func (o *CommandExecOptions) Validate() error {
+	err := options.VerifyOperationScopeFlags(o.OperationScope, options.KarmadaControlPlane, options.Members)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if o.OperationScope == options.Members && len(o.Cluster) == 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("must specify a member cluster")
+	}
 	return o.KubectlExecOptions.Validate()
 }
 
diff --git a/test/e2e/karmadactl_test.go b/test/e2e/karmadactl_test.go
index ad2752fda..1ecf71347 100644
--- a/test/e2e/karmadactl_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/karmadactl_test.go
@@ -529,7 +529,7 @@ var _ = ginkgo.Describe("Karmadactl exec testing", func() {
 			})
 
 		for _, clusterName := range framework.ClusterNames() {
-			cmd := framework.NewKarmadactlCommand(kubeconfig, karmadaContext, karmadactlPath, pod.Namespace, karmadactlTimeout, "exec", pod.Name, "-C", clusterName, "--", "echo", "hello")
+			cmd := framework.NewKarmadactlCommand(kubeconfig, karmadaContext, karmadactlPath, pod.Namespace, karmadactlTimeout, "exec", pod.Name, "--operation-scope", "members", "--cluster", clusterName, "--", "echo", "hello")
 			_, err := cmd.ExecOrDie()
 			gomega.Expect(err).ShouldNot(gomega.HaveOccurred())
 		}