Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the AIS: Challenges and opportunities of remote conferences

Abstract

With this research opinion article, we aim to contribute to the ongoing conversation concerning diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) within the IS community. Following Windeler et al.'s (2020) research on perceptions of DEI among members of the Association for Information Systems (AIS), we focus on how conferences should be convened in the post‐COVID‐19 era to maximise inclusivity. What are the benefits, challenges and implications of holding online and hybrid conferences? Informed by feedback from a survey involving IS scholars in the Global South and from a wide array of AIS senior scholars and conference leaders, we identify several challenges and opportunities of online and hybrid conferences (or, more generally, conferences allowing remote access) for the IS community. We weigh these tradeoffs and implications for DEI and provide reflections to generate constructive discussion on the future of AIS conferences.

Are we Concentrating on the Right Issues? A Response to the AIS Taskforce's Plan for the Future of IS Conferences

“…Therefore, and in contrast to the proposal presented by Marabelli et al (2023) who advocate multiplying the number of conferences in the form of small, theme-oriented gatherings so as to enhance the prospects for face-to-face interactions and cooperative ventures (particularly for researchers situated in the Global South), my stance leans towards reducing the overall number of larger, community-spanning IS conferences (e.g., AMCIS, ECIS, ICIS, and PACIS) in favor of one, maximum two, multi-hub conferences per year distributed across locations in all three AIS regions. As is customary, this could be one in June, and another in December.…”

“…The COVID-19 pandemic has clearly shown us that much is possible with new technologies, provided the will to change is there. However, the resolution of the IS community's inequality and diversity issues cannot be a technical response only, which is why I see the propositions made in this article mainly as starting points or links to ongoing discussions and other proposals regarding how to make our community more inclusive (e.g., Chau et al, 2022;Marabelli et al, 2023). It is certainly not the ultimate response to all our existing issues.…”

“…While I acknowledge the commendable intentions of Marabelli et al (2023) in their pursuit to amplify opportunities for scholars and students from historically marginalized regions and groups to receive valuable feedback and mentorship from established mentors, I also recognize that realizing such an initiative would demand an expanded cohort of volunteer reviewers. This requirement, in addition to the already rising submission numbers of existing IS conferences (and ancillary meetings) of varying scale, will further increase the burden on the academic system.…”

“…I do not conceal the reality that the endeavor required for annually organizing one or two multi-hub conferences in contrast to exclusively in-person or fully virtual gatherings is considerable. I also acknowledge Marabelli's et al (2023) critique that events of that size tend to occur in affluent, internationally significant urban centers due to the necessary infrastructure (especially bandwidth to connect a substantial number of remote participants). Nevertheless, these concerns can be addressed by an increased engagement of the AIS in both the planning and implementation of such a multi-hub setting.…”