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Dear colleagues,
Electronic Markets is inviting submissions for a Special Issue on "Sustainability and digitalization: Forging impactful pathways for future generations". Please find further details below.
Call for Papers: "Sustainability and digitalization: Forging impactful pathways for future generations"
Submission deadline: December 01, 2025
Guest Editors
* Lars Andraschko, ESSEC Business School, France, andraschko@essec.edu
* Pauline Weritz, University of Twente, The Netherlands, p.weritz@utwente.nl
* Philipp Wunderlich, ESB Business School, Germany, philipp.wunderlich@reutlingen-university.de
* Juliana Sutanto, Monash University, Australia, juliana.sutanto@monash.edu
* Jason Bennett Thatcher, University of Colorado Boulder, USA, jason.thatcher@colorado.edu
* Daniel J Veit, University of Augsburg, Germany, daniel.veit@uni-a.de
Theme
Globally increasing environmental degradation and social inequities pose a serious threat to the lives and well-being of people. While these challenges persist, digital platforms are becoming ever more integrated into organizational operations and people's daily activities. Despite much of extant research has addressed sustainability and digitalization as separate issues, or even questioned the value of contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), an emerging strand of research is focusing more on their interdependencies and interactions-revealing promising potential but also highlighting problematic environmental and social challenges (Veit & Thatcher, 2023).
The questions, however, remain on how to build a sustainable digital future in the era of networked business. Although significant strides have been made in understanding the relationship between sustainability and digitalization for organizations (e.g., Jabłoński et al., 2020; Leidner et al., 2022; Ologeanu-Taddei et al., 2025) and individuals (e.g., Andraschko et al., 2023; Sutanto et al., 2021; Wunderlich et al., 2019), many critical aspects of longer-term relationships and processes for enabling business transactions remain underexplored. Complementing extant research on digital sustainability that highlights the role of digital artifacts in supporting triple bottom-line goals (Kotlarsky et al., 2023), we advocate for studies that investigate how synergies between digitalization and sustainability unfold and can be fostered-while also critically examining potential limitations or failures in these endeavors, including dystopian perspectives.
Digital technology remains agnostic in its effects, such that platforms and electronic markets can be used for both positive and negative purposes (Alt, 2020). Thus, investigating how to (better) align them with sustainability goals is crucial for both firms and consumers, as technology being created and used today will have lasting effects on the future (e.g., Karwatzki et al., 2022; Masanet et al., 2020). The increasing use of AI systems, the growth of data generation, and the rising demands for computing power on digital platforms require careful evaluations. As digital technology expands, finding the right balance between embracing digital innovation and managing its social and ecological impact is critical to ensuring long-term sustainability (Chistov et al., 2023; Ryu et al., 2024). This balance involves determining how much digitalization can be reasonably integrated into organizational and daily life practices and which applications offer meaningful benefits without placing unnecessary strain on people and resources. As digitalization continues to evolve, we must question the status quo, explore frameworks, (re-)analyze data and theories to guide responsible technological progress.
Central issues and topics
Electronic Markets is a Social Science Citation Index (SSCI)-listed journal (IF 7.1 in 2023) in the area of information management and information systems. All papers should fit the journal scope (for more information, see www.electronicmarkets.org/about-em/scope/)
This special issue seeks original research that forges pathways on the interplay between sustainability and digitalization, aiming to create scientific advancement and societal impact for future generations. Possible submission topics include, but are not limited to:
- Role of data for sustainability
- Evaluating the sustainability of digital platforms
- Sustainable use of digital technology and innovations
- Sustainable digital practices at work and at home
- Sustainable platforms and digital business models
- Policies and governance of sustainability and networked business
- Carbon emissions and energy consumption of digital technology
- Reasonable, fair, and equitable digitalization
- Environmental challenges and digital opportunities in the global south
- Problem-solution paradox of sustainability and digitalization
Submission
Submissions should be original, unpublished, and not under consideration at any other journal. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods are welcome, provided the research exhibits strong methodological rigor. Contributions can take the form of conceptual and theoretical development papers, empirical hypothesis testing, position papers, case-based studies, and more. All papers will undergo a double-blind peer-review process. Submissions must be made via the journal's submission system (https://www.editorialmanager.com/elma/) and comply with the journal's formatting standards. The preferred average article length is approximately 10,000 words, excluding references. Instructions, templates, and general information are available at www.electronicmarkets.org/authors/general-information/. If you would like to discuss any aspect of this special issue, you may either contact the guest editors or the Editorial Office.
Keywords
Sustainability and Digitalization, Networked Business, Digital Sustainability, Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), Sustainable Digital Future
Important deadline
* Submission Deadline: December 01, 2025
Intended publication of special issue: Fall 2026
A panel discussion will be organized to deepen our key topics opening a stimulating conversation and clarifying questions. Further information will be announced.
References
Alt, R. (2020). Evolution and perspectives of electronic markets. Electronic Markets, 30(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12525-020-00413-8
Andraschko, L., Wunderlich, P., Sarker, S., & Veit, D. J. (2023). Sustainable IS Use: What IS Needed to REDUSE. ICIS 2023 Proceedings. International Conference on Information Systems, Hyderabad, IN.
Chistov, V., Aramburu, N., Florit, M. E. F., Peña‐Legazkue, I., & Weritz, P. (2023). Sustainability orientation and firm growth as ventures mature. Business Strategy and the Environment, 32(8), 5314–5331. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.3418
Jabłoński, M., Timmers, P., & Sarkis, J. (2020). Sustainability in business models in the network economy. Electronic Markets, 30(4), 675–678. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12525-020-00444-1
Karwatzki, S., Trenz, M., & Veit, D. (2022). The Multidimensional Nature of Privacy Risks: Conceptualisation, Measurement and Implications for Digital Services. Information Systems Journal, 32, 1126–1157. https://doi.org/10.1111/isj.12386
Kotlarsky, J., Oshri, I., & Sekulic, N. (2023). Digital Sustainability in Information Systems Research: Conceptual Foundations and Future Directions. Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 24(4), 936–952. https://doi.org/10.17705/1jais.00825
Leidner, D. E., Sutanto, J., & Goutas, L. (2022). Multifarious Roles and Conflicts on an Interorganizational Green IS. MIS Quarterly, 46(1), 591–608. https://doi.org/10.25300/MISQ/2022/15116
Masanet, E., Shehabi, A., Lei, N., Smith, S., & Koomey, J. (2020). Recalibrating global data center energy-use estimates. Science, 367(6481), 984–986. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aba3758
Ologeanu-Taddei, R., Hönigsberg, S., Weritz, P., Wache, H., Mittermeier, F., Tana, S., Dang, D., Hautala-Kankaanpää, T., & Pekkola, S. (2025). The Relationship of Digital Transformation and Corporate Sustainability: Synergies and Tensions. Technological Forecasting & Social Change, 210(123809). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2024.123809
Ryu, S., Koedijk, K. G., Chow, V., & Gao, X. (2024). Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) for Online Marketplaces. Electronic Markets, 34(1), 19, s12525-024-00701–00707. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12525-024-00701-7
Sutanto, J., Leidner, D. E., & Goutas, L. (2021). Influencing Sustainable Consumption Through Persuasive Agent Design. ICIS 2021 Proceedings. International Conference on Information Systems, Austin, TX.
Veit, D. J., & Thatcher, J. B. (2023). Digitalization as a problem or solution? Charting the path for research on sustainable information systems. Journal of Business Economics, 93(6–7), 1231–1253. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11573-023-01143-x
Wunderlich, P., Veit, D. J., & Sarker, S. (2019). Adoption of Sustainable Technologies: A Mixed-Methods Study of German Households. MIS Quarterly, 43(2), 673–691. https://doi.org/10.25300/MISQ/2019/12112
Best regards,
Rainer Alt, Mathias Klier, Maria Madlberger, Hans-Dieter Zimmermann, Ramona Coia
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Electronic Markets - The International Journal on Networked Business
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Editor-in-Chief: Rainer Alt, Leipzig University
Co-Editors: Mathias Klier, Ulm University; Maria Madlberger, Webster Vienna Private University; Hans-Dieter Zimmermann, Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences
Executive Editor: Ramona Coia, Leipzig University
Editorial Office:
c/o Information Systems Institute
Leipzig University
04109 Leipzig, Germany
Mail: editors@electronicmarkets.org
Phone: +49-341-9733600
https://www.springer.com/journal/12525
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Journal Impact Factor 2023: 7.1
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Electronic Markets
Leipzig University of Applied Sciences
Leipzig
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