The International Journal of Information Management (IJIM) is an international, peer-reviewed journal which aims to bring its readers the very best analysis and discussion in the developing field of information management.

The journal:

• Keeps the reader briefed with major papers, reports and reviews
• Is topical: Viewpoint articles and other regular features including Research Notes, Case Studies and a Reviews section help keep the reader up to date with current issues.
• Focusses on high quality papers that address contemporary issues for all those involved in information management and which make a contribution to advancing information management theory and practice.

Information is critical for the survival and growth of organisations and people. The challenge for Information management is now less about managing activities that collect, store and disseminate information. Rather, there is greater focus on managing activities that make changes in patterns of behaviour of customers, people, and organizations, and information that leads to changes in the way people use information to engage in knowledge focussed activities.

Information management covers a wide field and we encourage submissions from diverse areas of practice and settings including business, health, education and government.

Topics covered include:

Aspects of information management in learning organisations, health care (patients as well health workers and managers), business intelligence, security in organizations, social interactions and community development, knowledge management, information design and delivery, information for health care, Information for knowledge creation, legal and regulatory issues, IS-enabled innovations in information, content and knowledge management, philosophical and methodological approaches to information management research, new and emerging agendas for information research and reflective accounts of professional practice. 

Special Issue on Metaverse disruption: Supernatural Transformations of Businesses and their Stakeholders
Submission Date: 2023-07-01

This Special Issue aims to identify the implications of recent advances in the metaverse for marketing, sales, service, and related business models, including disruption of competitive norms in different sectors.

Guest editors:

Pantea Foroudi

(PhD, SFHEA, MSc (Honor), MA, BA (Honor)) is business manager and solution architect at Foroudi Consultancy as well as is a member of marketing, branding, and tourism, Middlesex University London.

Kaouther Kooli

(SFHEA, UKCGE) is a Principal Academic in Marketing in the Department of Marketing, Strategy and Innovation at the Faculty of Management, Bournemouth University. She holds a PhD in Marketing.

Richard Bagozzi

is a professor at the University of Michigan, Ross School. He holds honours causae from the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, Antwerp University, Belgian, and the Norwegian School of Economics.

Demetris Vrontis

is the Vice Rector for Faculty and Research and a Professor of Strategic Marketing Management at the University of Nicosia, Cyprus. He has published widely in over 300 refereed journal articles, 50 books and 80 chapters in books, and he has presented papers at over 80 conferences around the globe. He is a certified Chartered Marketer and a Chartered Business Consultant.

Shan L Pan

is a professor and an AGSM Scholar and Deputy Head of School (Research) at the School of Information Systems and Technology Management, UNSW Business School. He is the Director of the Digital Sustainability Knowledge Hub (DS Hub), which specialises in research and education on digital sustainability, with a specific aim to contribute to achieving the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs).

Special issue information:

Overview and purpose of the Special IssueBusiness has been profoundly disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic (Bagozzi et al., 2022; Foroudi et al., 2021; Izadi et al., 2021), and they are concerned for future pandemics. Floating in the metaverse is the best way to succeed in future pandemics, which entails stakeholder management, knowledge of the capital markets, and complex approval processes. In recent years, several studies have demonstrated the critical role of digital technologies in the post-COVID-19 pandemic recovery and extenuation of the limitations to physical environments. For example, virtual reality programs may provide users with temporary escape tools (Pillai et al., 2021) that could contribute to the improvement of customers/tourist confidence (Debusmann, 2020; Shiau et al., 2022).

Businesses benefit from human-machine interaction during pandemics and after (Pillai et al., 2021; Trkman and Černe, 2022). Moreover, companies are increasingly creating virtual experiences, products, and services by using the metaverse (Dincelli and Yayla, 2022). The worldwide metaverse market is expected to reach $760 billion by 2026 (Lapienytė, 2022). It is viewed as the next evolution of the internet. However, its success as “an innovative, dynamic ecosystem depends on its ability to converge physical and synthetic customer experiences seamlessly” (Heller et al. 2022, p.2). Through the metaverse, digital representations of people can interact with one another in a variety of ways (Ukko et al., 2022). Additionally, virtual communities can be created through the metaverse using devices such as virtual reality headsets, augmented reality glasses, and smartphone apps (Clement, 2022, Nvidia, 2021). A metaverse is transforming the pandemic-hit business (Forbes, 2022). Therefore, practitioners are increasingly considering metaverse technology as a tool to showcase their offerings, and helping, for instance, customers plan better holidays (Campbell, 2022), search better hotels, and live new experiences. This could involve two people traveling to the same city while being in two separate cities (Traveldaylynews, 2022), virtual flying, kayaking, and participating in expeditions. It is expected that the metaverse will be a new way for tourism to connect with tourists and, therefore, provide them with unique experiences and opportunities (Campbell, 2022).
There is a growing body of research pointing to the metaverse as a means to achieve sustainability (Hsu et al., 2022). As an example, it can be seen as accelerating progress on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (Foroudi et al., 2022; Umar, 2022). This is not surprising, as previous studies have highlighted the role that artificial intelligence (AI), one of the pillars of the metaverse, plays in enabling organizations to identify the cultural changes necessary to achieve SDGs (Di Vaio et al., 2020). AI, machine learning, Big Data, and sensor technologies, for example, are enabling personalized health care (Latif et al., 2017), transforming education (Goralski and Taei Keong, 2020; Mckinsey Digital, 2022), and developing sustainable business models (Di Vaio et al., 2020).
While the metaverse appears to be very promising for businesses, there are a number of issues associated with this technology, including privacy, health, access inequality, desensitization, and identity theft (Marr, 2022). It has also been suggested that the metaverse may lead to new psychological problems, which are not covered by current criminal law (Zhandan, 2022). Moreover, the adoption of the metaverse by companies faces challenges such as managers' perceptions of the digital world (Dwivedi et al., 2022; inews, 2022). In order to fully leverage the metaverse, companies must develop strategies to take advantage of its opportunities while also overcoming the challenges it presents. It will be necessary to establish trust in the system, develop the safety and security of the enabling technologies, such as blockchains, and improve reality with technologies such as augmented, virtual, and neuro-augmented reality (Heller et al., 2022). Moreover, companies will need to develop talent in a range of areas, such as user experience design, 3D modelling, game design, blockchain implementation, and integrating content from multiple partners, which will require experienced developers for the platforms on which they wish to operate. In order to succeed in the metaverse, companies will need to develop new technological capabilities as well as disseminate knowledge.

In recent years, academic societies have begun to recognize the critical role that digital technologies could play in recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and in easing limitations to physical environments. Yet, there is a lack of research in the field of metaverse disruption. This special issue addresses questions related to metaverse disruption (i) by examining the lessons to be drawn from this disruption, and (ii) by outlining post-pandemic directions for this strategy.
Sample Topics
Against this background, it is not surprising that there is a paucity of academic studies addressing the opportunities and implications of the metaverse for businesses and users. This may be due to the fact that social science researchers historically lag behind rapid technological advances in the digital domain, although this is not always the case. This Special Issue aims to identify the implications of recent advances in the metaverse for marketing, sales, service, and related business models, including disruption of competitive norms in different sectors. This Special Issue invites empirical submissions that employ mixed methods, multi-study, or longitudinal approaches that will lead to the development of more advanced metaverse perspectives, models, and empirical studies that address specific business challenges. Potential metaverse-related approaches to be covered include, but are not limited to:

▪ What impact has COVID-19 had on business using the metaverse and its related technologies, including VR (virtual reality), ER (extended reality), AI (artificial intelligence) and AR (augmented reality)?
▪ What companies could do in the event of a new pandemic by adopting the metaverse
▪ How are companies embracing the metaverse, VR, AI, ER, and AR in order to provide an immersive customer experience, customer engagement, and brand recognition?
▪ What are the barriers to the adoption of the metaverse, VR, AI, ER, and AR within global business?
▪ How is the businesses adopting the metaverse, VR, AI, ER, and AR?
▪ How can the metaverse, VR, AI, ER, and AR strengthen organizational performance and provide a competitive advantage post-COVID-19?
▪ How do you anticipate that the metaverse, VR, AI, ER, and AR industries will evolve?
▪ How can the metaverse, VR, AI, ER, and AR be used to improve businesses pandemic preparedness?
▪ How have consumer psychological and behavioral outcomes changed following adoption of the metaverse, VR, AI, ER, and AR since COVID-19?
▪ Is there any consumer sentiment toward the metaverse, VR, AI, ER, and AR?
▪ How can a company build a brand in the metaverse? How can a brand actually add value to a virtual space?
▪ What rules and policies may be needed to ensure the success of the metaverses economic activities during turbulent times?
▪ How can COVID-19 affect business models in the metaverse?
▪ What is the impact of the metaverse on consumer purchasing decisions when choosing metaverse offerings compared to traditional alternatives?
▪ How do consumer satisfaction and loyalty in the digital world differ?
▪ How do managers manage their physical and virtual environments?
▪ How do businesses (re)develop marketing communications plans in the metaverse? What is the impact of this change?
▪ How do companies design digital products and services?
▪ What role does the metaverse play in supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals?
▪ How do businesses' managers and consumers perceive digital value?
▪ What are the contributions of the metaverse to customer relationship management?
For any enquiries regarding this call, please contact both guest editors.

Manuscript submission information:

General information for prospective authorsSubmitted papers should not have been previously published nor be currently under consideration for publication elsewhere. We welcome research embedded in context and which adopts sound theoretical foundations and different methods. This Special Issue invites empirical submissions that employ mixed methods, multi-study, or longitudinal approaches that will lead to the development of more advanced metaverse perspectives, models, and empirical studies that address specific business challenges.

Submission procedure

The International Journal of Information Management provides a valuable outlet for research and scholarship on technology management-orientated themes and topics. It publishes articles of a multi-disciplinary and interdisciplinary nature as well as empirical research from within traditional disciplines and managerial functions. With contributions from around the globe, the journal includes articles across the full range of business and management disciplines.

Prospective authors are strongly encouraged to contact the Special Issue editors regarding potential topics of interest or any questions/suggestions regarding the Special Issue. Abstracts (up to 500 words) can be submitted directly to the guest editors via email (P.Foroudi@mdx.ac.uk; kkooli@bournemouth.ac.uk) by 1 July 2023. Abstracts must be concise and to the point, with appropriate references. Full papers must be submitted by 1 November 2023 through the journal system, the online submission and peer review system. Registration and access is available at: https://www.editorialmanager.com/jjim/default2.aspx. Please select the correct issue to submit to: “Metaverse Disruption”. Author guidelines for IJIM can be found at:
https://www.elsevier.com/journals/international-journal-of-information-management/0268-4012/guide-for-authors

Review process

Each paper must pass the following review procedures before it can be published in this Special Issue:
1. Guest editors will review it to determine whether it is suitable for this Special Issue.
2. A rigorous double-blind review process will be conducted if it is deemed suitable by three reviewers.
3. Following the recommendations of the reviewers, the guest editors and the Editor-in-Chief will decide whether a specific paper should be accepted, revised, resubmitted, or rejected.

Timeline

Abstract submissions: 1 July 2023
(Email to P.foroudi@mdx.ac.uk)
Date of abstract decisions: 1 August 2023
FINAL deadline for paper submissions: 1 November 2023
Decisions and revisions: February 2024
Publication: 2024

Special Issue on Innovation Management in the Digital Era
Submission Date: 2023-09-01

This special issue is intended to cover any topic directly or indirectly linked to the concept of innovation management using digital technologies, digital transformation, and the influence of social media and digital marketing.

Please note that the Article Publishing Charge shall be waived for all article submitted towards this Special Issue.

Guest editors:

Domingo Ribeiro-Soriano
University of Valencia
Valencia, Spain
(domingo.ribeiro@uv.es) 

Daniel Palacios-Marques
Polytechnic University of Valencia
Valencia, Spain
(dapamar@doe.upv.es)

Special issue information:

Background and Context

The phenomenon of new technology development and adoption has prompted companies to embrace innovation management as a strategy. This strategy combines companies’ innovation processes with their digital transformation strategies (Bunjak et al., 2022; Ratten, 2022; Nylén and Holmström, 2015).

Studies such as that of Appio et al. (2021) show that successful innovation management processes require a culture of innovation that involves employees, encouraging them to adopt new digital practices and tools to solve various challenges faced by today’s corporations. Digital transformation and innovation management together have formed a business ecosystem (Huesig and Endres, 2019). The innovation process and the management of their strategies have become key elements for companies to succeed in digital and traditional channels (Nambisan et al., 2017; Kapoor et al., 2014).

In this context, companies should adopt new tactics to drive innovation. There is no doubt that the digital ecosystem and new digital channels are emerging as essential tactics to drive innovation management (Nambisan et al., 2017). In these digital ecosystems, there are discussions regarding the privacy of user data, the adaptability of digital channels such as social media, and the influence of digital marketing strategies in driving digital transformation and innovation management (Di Vaio et al., 2021; Endres et al., 2022). This special issue gives a platform to studies of the main innovative processes and cultures within organisations that can enhance information management.

This special issue is intended to cover any topic directly or indirectly linked to the concept of innovation management using digital technologies, digital transformation, and the influence of social media and digital marketing. The special issue also has a place for topics related to any type of innovation in management that can influence the processes of digitisation and innovation in business organisations.

This call for papers welcomes, but is not limited to, the following themes:

    Digital transformation strategies
    Innovation practices in information management
    Tactics to drive digital technologies in organisations
    Digital strategies in innovation management
    The role of data privacy policies in digital innovation management
    New digital channels that influence innovation management
    Digital marketing strategies to drive digital transformation and innovation management
    Forms of digital transformation in organisations
    Social media and innovation management practices
    Data-driven models in innovation management
    Other related topics

For this special issue, we invite empirical contributions (e.g. mixed method, multi-study, longitudinal surveys or experiments) related to any of the topics outlined above. Submissions should clearly relate to digital aspects of innovation management.

Manuscript submission information:

Please note that the Article Publishing Charge shall be waived for all article submitted towards this Special Issue.

Important Dates

Submission Deadline: September 1, 2023

Link for submission of manuscripts: https://www.editorialmanager.com/jjim/Default.aspx

All submissions have to be prepared according to the Guide for Authors as published in the Journal’s website at: https://www.elsevier.com/journals/international-journal-of-information-management/0268-4012/guide-for-authors

A submission based on one or more papers that appeared elsewhere must bear major value-added extensions or updates (at least 85% of new material). Authors are requested to attach to the submitted paper their relevant, previously published articles and a summary document explaining the enhancements made in the journal’s version. All submitted papers will undergo a rigorous peer-review process that will consider programmatic relevance, scientific quality, significance, originality, style and clarity.

Special Issue on Royal Bank International Research Seminar, Culture and Morphing the Real World into the Virtual World
Submission Date: 2024-05-31

The sixteenth meeting of the Royal Bank International Research Seminar will take place at the John Molson School of Business in Montreal, on September 14-16, 2023. The main topic of this seminar is to explore the role of culture in morphing the real world into the virtual world.

Guest editors:

Prof. Michel Laroche
Department of Marketing, John Molson School of Business
Concordia University, 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West
Montreal, Quebec H3G 1M8, Canada
(Michel.laroche@concordia.ca)

Special issue information:

The sixteenth meeting of the Royal Bank International Research Seminar will take place at the John Molson School of Business in Montreal, on September 14-16, 2023. The main topic of this seminar is to explore the role of culture in morphing the real world into the virtual world. The main objective of the seminar is to bring together international researchers from different disciplines interested in advancing knowledge on the role of culture in a rapidly changing digital landscape. In recent developments, the digital transformation continues to accelerate; technology affects interpersonal relationships more than ever before requiring researchers to reconsider established paradigms in relation to current and future information technologies. Marketers must now deal with the influence of new information technologies on the increasingly wired consumers and rapidly developing market configurations.

Papers are sought in the following areas of culture, new information technologies, and new consumption patterns (the list is not exhaustive):

    Advancing/Building the theory regarding consumption and adoption of new information technologies, e.g., IoT, metaverse, Artificial Intelligence, and blockchain.
    Acculturation and ethnic identity influences on marketing strategies for the wired consumers.
    Understanding the use of mobile technology and wearables in changing shopping and consumption patterns.
    Influences of robotics on families and reference groups across cultures.
    Influence of new technologies on materialism, values, and cultural tendencies across cultures.
    Transcultural, social well-being, and public policy issues regarding new consumption patterns across cultures, especially among teenagers and vulnerable groups.
    Methodological issues relevant to studying the new consumption patterns, especially the use of big data analytics, robotics, and artificial intelligence.
    Role of new information technologies on advertising perceptions and virtual stores across cultures.
    New pricing issues across cultures, especially the influences of models from the new sharing economies.
    Social media and internet based marketing issues across cultures, including social commerce and co-branding issues.
    Multicultural brand communities and global social media.
    New communication channels and their impact on images of products in cross-cultural contexts.
    Impact of new technologies on product quality perceptions across cultures.
    Culture and the role of new information technologies in consumer journeys.
    Understanding cultural differences in the appreciation of digital sensory experiences.
    Human-robot interactions in different cultural contexts.

Papers should be less than 30 double-space pages, with 1” margins and 12 pt fonts, and follow the guidelines of the International Journal of Information Management. Electronic submissions are required. All papers will be subject to a double blind peer review procedure. The best papers of the Royal Bank International Research Seminar will be considered for publication in a IJIM Special issue on Culture in morphing the real world into the virtual world.

Manuscript submission information:

The deadline for submissions is 31st May 2024.

Please send your submissions (or any inquiry) by email to our Managing Guest Editor, Prof. Michel Laroche at Michel.laroche@concordia.ca 

Learn more about the benefits of publishing in a special issue: https://www.elsevier.com/authors/submit-your-paper/special-issues

Interested in becoming a guest editor? Discover the benefits of guest editing a special issue and the valuable contribution that you can make to your field: https://www.elsevier.com/editors/role-of-an-editor/guest-editors