Information Systems Tracks > Track 33: Digital Sustainability and Digitalization in Times of Crisis

Track Chair:

• Dr. Ahmed Hamdi, Rabat Business School, UIR, Morocco

The Covid-19 health crisis, growing global warming, and persistent inequalities due to political conflicts are calling into question the socioeconomic foundations of our society. How individuals and businesses respond to these challenges will profoundly define our future. Many organizations are undertaking sustainability strategies to help meet these challenges. Sustainability refers to a configuration of human society that ensures its durability. It is based on social equity and the maintenance of a liveable environment that allows economic and social development on a planetary scale. More particularly, Information Technologies (IT) play a significant role with respect to our collective sustainable future. On one side, they contribute 4% to greenhouse gas emissions and consume 10% of the electricity in the world. The extraction of minerals for the manufacture of computer components promotes the depletion of non-renewable resources and the dispersion of toxic products. Pollution is increasing with the increasing use of IT and the processing of end-of-life electronic waste. On the other side, smartly operated IT can help emancipate from sustainability challenges. This is the case of the telecommunications and logistics industries, which have implemented practices and regulatory frameworks to manage the IT carbon footprint.

The unusual circumstances created by COVID-19’s rapid spread and the current geopolitical conflicts provide a unique opportunity to study the role of Information Systems and Digital Technology in supporting people through global crises. This track focuses on the relationships between digitalization, and the crises’ consequences on jobs and work (for both employers and employees), education and educational institutions (including learners and educators), family and home life (including life-changes for adults and children), and global society. In this track, we welcome submissions of full research papers or research in progress, including theory articles, literature reviews, teaching cases, or studies employing qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods, and design science research methods.