The strategic value of DEI in the information systems discipline

Abstract

Triggered by events such as the murder of George Floyd, the last few years have witnessed the revival of the Black Lives Matter movement, the #metoo movement and other collective initiatives that support LGBTQ + communities and other historically disadvantaged groups. At the same time, the widespread and still growing capabilities of automated systems for decision-making – such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the more recent generative AI (GAI) – have surfaced a multitude of DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) issues in various organizational and social settings. In this editorial, we lay out ideas on how the IS community can react, make an important difference, and offer substantial theoretical and practical contributions to social justice. We also provide guidance to prospective JSIS authors whose research concerns the consideration of DEI issues in the strategic design, deployment and use in practice of information systems with embedded emerging, automated, algorithmic-based technologies.