Track description
n°16

This track focuses on Information Systems (IS) policy and invites works from scholars engaged in policy-making as well as the implementation and evaluation of policies related to digital technologies within organizational or societal contexts. It emphasizes understanding how IS research can contribute—both directly and indirectly—to policy discourse and decision-making in ways that enhance relevance and real-world impact. This includes to understand how IS research can create policy recommendations for strategic and operational decision-makers in both public and private sectors. In this regard, IS policy research spans a wide range of issues, including security, costs, information privacy, sustainability, equitable access.

While there is ongoing debate about the extent of IS scholars’ engagement with regard to policies, this track sets that discussion aside to focus on constructive avenues forward. Central to this is exploring how IS research can contribute organizational policy and regulation, including the structures and processes that shape the use of digital technologies. This can also consider foresight and methodological approaches that go beyond reacting to upcoming issues (e.g., concerns after high-profile data breaches), aiming to anticipate future policy needs. Research can focus on various levels—individually (e.g., privacy, digital rights, algorithmic transparency), organizationally (e.g., data governance, responsible AI adoption), or at the broader societal and institutional level (e.g., digital infrastructure, platform governance).

Submissions that explore how these levels intersect—for example, how organizational policy choices affect individual rights or how macro-level regulation, and policy frameworks shape digital innovation policy—are welcome. In this regard, authors can build in their work on empirical cases considering policy-focused partners — such as companies, government bodies, NGOs, regulatory agencies (e.g., data protection authorities), international organizations (e.g., United Nations) — given their practical relevance and potential for real-world impact.

This track directly aligns with the conference theme, “Re-imaging Digital Technology for Business, Management, and Society,” by emphasizing the practical engagement of IS research in shaping policy discussions. As emerging technologies continue to redefine organizational practices and societal interactions, this track positions IS scholars as active contributors to upcoming challenges. By focusing on how IS research can also be valuable for policymakers and intermediaries (e.g., policy analysts, advocacy organizations, or strategic consulting), the track promotes a form of scholarly engagement that is both forward-looking and impactful. Ultimately, this track supports the conference’s goal of exploring how emerging technologies are reshaping the world, with a focus on translating rigorous research into impactful policy outcomes.

• Case studies on IS policy making and impact
• Sustainability and environmental policy challenges in IS
• Policies for ethical use of emerging technologies
• Political and institutional barriers in context of IS policy
• IS policy across organizational boundaries (e.g., with view on supply chains or ecosystems)
• Foresight approaches for anticipating policy needs
• Frameworks and methodologies for translating IS findings into policy recommendations
• Innovative narratives and storytelling techniques for engaging policymakers
• Collaborative partnerships between IS researchers and policy actors
• Cross-country comparisons of IS policies

This track welcomes diverse theoretical and empirical approaches, and contributions from interdisciplinary teams that address IS policy.

In the past years, IS conferences and journals have increasingly opened space for discussions that touch on IS policy, reflecting broader concerns about security, privacy, sustainability, and access. While the importance of IS research to policy is widely acknowledged, there is still significant debate over what constitutes “adequate” participation, and how such engagement should be evaluated or measured. Against this backdrop, recent publications have begun to reflect a growing recognition that IS scholars must not only study systems but also consider their influence on public and organizational policy.

There is increasing interest in the mechanics of how policy is created, implemented, and evaluated, and in how IS research can contribute meaningfully to that process. As such, the field is now grappling with not only the content of IS policy research but also the question of how to engage more effectively in the policy discourse—an effort that aligns well with the conference theme. The proposed track is timely in its practical focus on helping IS researchers understand where and how they can participate in the policy process.