Title: Editorial: Special issue on empirical research on information systems addressing the challenges of environmental sustainability: an imperative for urgent action
Abstract: Information Systems JournalVolume 27, Issue 4 p. 367-378 EditorialFree Access Editorial: Special issue on empirical research on information systems addressing the challenges of environmental sustainability: an imperative for urgent action Steve Elliot, Steve ElliotSearch for more papers by this authorJane Webster, Jane WebsterSearch for more papers by this author Steve Elliot, Steve ElliotSearch for more papers by this authorJane Webster, Jane WebsterSearch for more papers by this author First published: 15 June 2017 https://doi.org/10.1111/isj.12150Citations: 14AboutSectionsPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Introduction Scientific evidence accepted by leading experts in the environmental domain attributes observable degradation of the natural environment on a global scale to human behaviour (IPCC, 2007; IPCC, 2014). Acknowledging the deteriorating state of the environment as one of the most critical challenges confronting the world, the governments of more than 190 countries have accepted the scientific evidence of this degradation and, by ratifying the United Nations Paris Climate Agreement of 2015, more than 130 countries to date have committed to take action (UNFCCC, 2016a). Business, government and society need to collaborate to achieve fundamental changes in current behaviours and prevailing practices in order to address the challenges of environmental sustainability (IPCC, 2007; Porter & Reinhardt, 2007; Stern, 2007; NIC, 2008; IPCC, 2014; UNFCCC, 2015). Although achievements are being made in specific areas, the gap between current emissions levels and the rate of improvement is widening. This gap will lead to 'significantly greater climate risks, higher mitigation and adaptation costs and negative impacts on human health and sustainable development' (UNCCS, 2015, p. 2). Greater effort is urgently required to address these challenges (UNFCCC, 2015; UNCCS, 2015). The information systems (IS) community has a critical contributory role in these global responses. Applications of technology, including information and communications technologies and systems, have been acknowledged as a key source of solutions to address the necessity for fundamental change to behaviours and practices (MEA, 2005; IPCC, 2007; Stern, 2007; NIC, 2008; UNFCCC, 2016b). As a discipline, IS is well placed to make significant contributions to this domain as IS 'examines more than just the technological system, or just the social system, or even the two side by side; in addition, it investigates the phenomena that emerge when the two interact' (Lee, 2001, p. iii). Therefore, interaction between technological and social systems to address one of the world's most critical challenges is located at the core of the IS discipline. Consequently, this special issue aims to contribute to the development of relevant and rigorous research in this domain that demonstrates the applicability of IS as a source of empirical solutions to a range of environmental challenges. It seeks to promote the development of a diversity of environmentally sustainable practices; the application, testing and development of relevant theory; and the development of generalizable theory in use (Lee, 2010) informed by fundamentally changed behaviours and practices in pioneering organizations from a variety of contexts. Submissions To achieve these aims, this special issue sought outstanding research papers on exemplary practices in the application of IS solutions for the challenges of environmental sustainability ('Green IS'). To support increased practice-informed theoretical contributions in the field of environmental sustainability, we undertook a developmental approach with two rounds of extended abstracts before the initial deadline for full manuscripts. Submissions investigated practices in a broad range of organizations, predominantly from business but including communities, government and societal groups. The four manuscripts selected for this special issue present rigorous studies into relevant IS practice in business and government with clear contributions to theory and practice. Contributions of Current Research A considerable number of literature reviews and commentary papers have been written on Green IS and why it is critical to study (e.g. Elliot, 2011; Jenkin et al., 2011; Watson et al., 2012; vom Brocke et al., 2013; Wang et al., 2015; El Idrissi & Corbett, 2016). Further, special Green IS issues have been published by international IS journals (including AJIS, ISJ, JSIS, JS&IT and MISQ) and specialist tracks in conferences, although more recently as part of a broader topic, such as ICIS 2016's Sustainability and Society track. However, with Green IS being a relatively new area, the quality of theoretical contributions based on empirical research has been modest. For example, we have seen replications of well-tested theories, such as 'Green TAM', that add little to our knowledge base. Therefore, this special issue called for innovative empirical research. Table 1 summarizes the special issue articles and presents critical questions for future research within each area. For this issue: Little is known about how organizations develop and assimilate their capability to leverage IS for environmental sustainability. Consequently, Cooper and Molla develop a model around IS-environmental absorptive capacity and demonstrate that it represents a significant mechanism to deliver IS-enabled change addressing environmental issues. To do so, they operationalized an IS-environmental absorptive capacity construct and conducted multiple studies using a variety of research methods, including interviews, surveys and a case study. Cities are acknowledged as a global priority in the United Nations' Sustainability Development Goals (UN, 2015). To address this, Corbett and Mellouli examine the roles of IS in cities relating to protecting and managing green spaces and providing safe and reliable water supplies. They identify the leading role for cities in realizing multiple UN sustainability development goals (SDGs) and the essential enabling role for IS in supporting sustainability initiatives by cities. They also propose actionable frameworks for IS researchers and IS practitioners based on case study research and present a foundation for future IS research and practice for cities to develop further contributions towards achieving specific UN SDGs. Green IS researchers typically study sustainability from one of two perspectives, as a contributor or as a solution to environmental degradation. In contrast, the Hanelt, Busse and Kolbe paper examines 'supporting IS' for green innovations. That is, for hybrid physical–digital solutions, this paper examines IS that 'do not represent a complete Green IS product or service per se'. To do so, they conducted eight case studies for companies that had implemented electric vehicles. They discovered two functional affordances – technological flexibility and digital eco-innovation – that resulted in eco-efficiency and eco-effectiveness outcomes. Insufficient knowledge exists about how technology managers implement environmental strategies for organizational benefit. Based on an international survey, Loeser et al. clarify the links between: organizational beliefs about environmental sustainability; Green IT and Green IS actions undertaken; and the organizational benefits that accrue from these actions. Green IS strategies were found to mediate the relationship between environmental orientation and the implementation of Green IT practices and Green IS practices. In turn, these can lead to organizational benefits in the form of cost reductions, corporate reputation enhancement and Green innovation capabilities. Table 1. Special issue articles and opportunities for future IS research Areas Special issue papers Critical questions for future IS research Cooper & Molla Corbett & Mellouli Hanelt et al. Loeser et al. Level of Analysis Organizations Cities Organizations Organizations a. Past research is predominately on organizations. Could future research also focus on the role of the individual in society in addressing environmental sustainability? How could IS assist, enable or inhibit an individual role? b. Collaboration across business, government and societal groups and individuals is essential, but how could that level of collaboration be achieved? Focus Overall RQ: development of IS-environmental absorptive capacity for IS-enabled change Application: general Green IT and IS practices Overall RQ: the role of IS in the development of environmentally sustainable cities Application: IS for water quality and green spaces Overall RQ: the contribution of 'supporting IS' to physical eco-innovation's impact on organizational performance Application: IS to support electric vehicles Overall RQ: mechanisms linking organizational environmental sustainability beliefs to Green IT and IS actions and organizational benefits Application: general Green IT and IS practices a. How can organizations utilize IS to encourage more environmentally-responsible behaviours by their employees and customers? b. Globalization, IT and the environment are major drivers of transformation but do they have the same effect and do they operate in the same ways? If not, then why, how and where? c. Are IS-enabled solutions applicable in all situations for all drivers? Why, how and where? Do different drivers of IS-enabled change require different policies, strategies and solutions? d. What is the impact of value chains on the environment and of the environment on value chains? Do these impacts differ, e.g. by sector, country, culture, size or local environments? e. How can multi-national organizations manage global responses to local sustainability issues? f. Can multi and trans-disciplinary teams produce improved outcomes? Why, how and how to evaluate? g. Can alliances of organizations produce improved outcomes? Why, how and how to evaluate? h. Does IS have new roles in mixed disciplinary teams and alliances? Why, how and where? i. Do IS innovations for sustainability require different approaches to evaluation? Why? How? j. Do organizations require particular capabilities to address environmentally-driven, IS-enabled change? What capabilities, why and how can they be acquired, developed and maintained? Theory Extension of Cohen & Levinthal's (1990) absorptive capacity theory Grounded theory developed for integrated information ecosystems Extension of Melville et al.'s (2004) IT business value model Extension of Melville's (2010) belief–action–outcome framework a. To what extent is current IS theory able to support IS-solutions for sustainable practices? b. What current IS theory, in what circumstances and what evidence supports its application in such an IS-solution? c. What gaps exist between current IS theory and IS-solutions for sustainable practices? d. To what extent might these gaps be addressed by testing and development of current IS theory, application of theory from reference disciplines or by development of theory-in-use? e. To what extent is current IS theory generalizable to IS-enabled solutions for sustainable practices across, e.g. sector, country, culture, size and local environments? f. How can current and emerging IS theory maintain generalizability in multi-faceted, dynamic environments? Research methods 1. Exploratory interviews with seven managers 2. Survey with 148 senior international IS managers 3. A deductive case study of an Australian university IT department Two inductive case studies in a Canadian city Eight integrated (inductive–deductive) case studies in German organizations (across four business process categories) Survey with 118 international IT executives a. To what extent are methods applied in current IS research applicable to IS-solutions for sustainable practices? Will different research approaches be required? What? Why? b. What roles do IS researchers have to support IS-solutions for sustainable practices? Are these roles different? Why, how and where? c. How can action research, design science and other methods be utilized to encourage more environmentally responsible behaviours within organizations? d. Do IS researchers require new capabilities to address environmentally-driven, IS-enabled change? What capabilities, why and how can they be acquired, developed and maintained? e. How could the impact of IS, IS research and IS scholarship be determined, evaluated and reported coherently and consistently in each situation? Outcomes 1. IS assimilation 2. Organizational performance Integrated administrative, political and sustainability outcomes 1. Business process efficiency 2. Competitive impacts 1. Cost reduction 2. Corporate reputation 3. Green innovative capabilities a. What outcomes (both positive and negative) should IS researchers examine to improve levels of environmental sustainability? b. What impact does IS and IS research have on current practices in business, universities, government and society? c. Could the impact of IS and IS research on current practices be improved by IS-solutions for sustainable practices? Why? How? d. Does IS research need to increase its impact on current practices in organizations? e. How could the impact of IS-enabled practices on the environment be determined, evaluated, monitored and managed effectively over time? Looking Forward: Directions for Future Research and Practice Environmental research is critical not only for IS but for the survival of the planet. Regrettably, many IS researchers tend to follow technology trends rather than considering how technology may be applied appropriately to address issues of global importance. As indicated earlier, ICIS has moved to a combined track representing both sustainability and society. Similarly, practice has transitioned from Green IT hype cycles to more general ones (e.g. Tripathi & Gupta, 2016). However, addressing the challenges confronting our rapidly degrading environment is acknowledged as being of the highest global priority. We contend that this level of global significance needs to be better reflected in IS research and practice. Research The articles in this special issue illustrate what can be accomplished in IS research. Critical questions for future IS research presented in Table 1 provide directions for that work. Those questions are grouped by the following areas: Level of analysis Most Green IS research has been conducted at the organizational level of analysis (Wang et al., 2015; El Idrissi & Corbett, 2016). Although this is key to making quick and large-scale changes (e.g. changing the defaults on all company printers to duplex), employees and consumers still have considerable leeway in terms of making decisions that affect the environment (e.g. utilizing their own personal printers). That is, researchers will need to continue conducting organizational research while also increasing the amount of high-quality empirical research at the individual and group levels of analysis. In this regard, many articles examine Green IT and IS practices in general, and we hope to see increased studies on the effects of specific interventions, diversity in organizations (e.g. governmental and societal as well as business) and at multiple levels within a range of contexts. Focus We hope that future research will continue to broaden the scope of empirical IS research by including: diversity in research perspectives through involving co-authors from a variety of disciplines/genders/nationalities/etc.; academic and industry co-authorship of papers on the experiences of real organizations leading to testing and developing extant theory and proposal of 'theory in use'; analysis of pioneering experiences by organizations from a range of contexts across regions of the world; analysis of ground-breaking accomplishments by organizations from a range of industries and sectors including government, professional and non-profit/societal organizations; analysis of achievements by alliances of organizations from a range of contexts; support for future efforts in research and practice through review of the opportunities available (for IS research with impact – as shown above); and consideration of the development of the changing role of IS to incorporate Green IS. Could this require the development of specific Green IS skills or capabilities? If so, what and how to best acquire them? Theoretical perspectives In terms of theoretical contributions, we cannot develop one overall theory of 'Green IS'. Because environmental sustainability touches all parts of our lives, both inside and outside of organizations, theoretical perspectives from many areas, from cognitive psychology (e.g. choice theory) to management (e.g. institutional theory), must be revised as required to help inform the field. For instance, emerging research on gamification, or the addition of game elements to non-game systems, holds potential for environmental improvements in organizations (Liu et al., in press). Complex natural and environmental systems require analysis as they are, utilizing inductive reasoning with complexity theory, general systems theory, information theory and others as appropriate to the research aim. Some issues will necessitate new theory and new theoretical approaches. Transdisciplinarity, or rigorous, collaborative approaches to creating transferable knowledge and solving societal problems, will need to be applied by researchers across academic fields (Lang et al., 2012). Research methods With the urgency of environmental degradation and the ratification and implementation of the Paris Agreement in November 2016, the world is moving away from 'making commitments to delivering action' (Waskow, 2016). The IS field now needs to conduct interventions, learn from best transformative practices in the field and design and develop and disseminate models of those best practices to individuals and organizations worldwide. The multifaceted nature of complex environmental and climatic systems, for example, may be less well suited to traditional research methods that favour deductive reasoning and reductionist logic. The analysis needs to be organized around the object of the study as it is, rather than being based on the assumptions and codes of practice of a specific discipline (Elliot, 2013). Looking to the future, we will need to assist individuals, communities and organizations to affect change that positively impacts the environment (Watson et al., 2012). To do so, design science and action research will be especially appropriate. Outcomes Most Green IS research does not examine environmental impacts, but continues to study traditional IS outcomes such as the effectiveness of revised business processes or organizational performance. This surprises us, as little can be concluded about efforts to address environmental degradation without measuring actual environmental outcomes. We encourage researchers to assess sustainability outcomes using standard measures such as the most recent revision of the Global Reporting Initiative's environmental issues (e.g. recycling, energy efficiency, biodiversity, reduction of products' and services' environmental impacts: see Corbett et al. (in press) for an example). Further, most studies examine positive outcomes, not any possible negative ones. However, many unintended consequences can occur, including rebound effects, privacy invasion and greenwashing. In terms of the well-known rebound effect, for example, an individual may initially perform pro-environmental behaviours after an intervention but then later switch to other behaviours, resulting in negative environmental outcomes (Unsworth et al., 2013). Turning to privacy invasion, although multiple sensors have been encouraged to help track environmental impacts, individuals' perceptions of privacy invasion may occur (Watson et al., 2012), resulting in reduced use of green systems. Finally, greenwashing, or a strategy that companies adopt to engage in symbolic communications of environmental issues without substantially addressing them in action (Walker & Wan, 2012), represents another possible negative outcome. Thus, we encourage researchers to focus not only on positive environmental outcomes but also to think about and assess possible unintended ones. Practice A global report for business leaders that explores potential opportunities arising from sustainability concerns (DNV GL, 2017) presents an agenda for business responses. Based on expert opinions and confirmed by an international survey of 5500 executives, it concludes that businesses are ready to apply digital technology to grasp opportunities to pursue sustainable development. DNV GL President, Remi Eriksen, sees an era of increasingly complex technology utilization: 'I am certain that over the next five years, concepts such as automation, machine learning, blockchain and cyber-physical systems will acquire real meaning and scale. Most of the technologies are already familiar to us. What's new is the combination of advanced technologies from previously separate domains – like mechanical, biological, electrical, optical and digital. New combinations, and the speed of implementation, will be the building blocks of the new era' [Erikson, 2017]. An example can be found in UNFCCC's (2016b) technology transfer framework within which developing countries undertook a technology needs assessment (TNA) to identify their priorities for climate technology. Through this process, the countries were able to identify how technologies could be applied to address climate change and subsequently to enable national development; develop the capacity to support sustainable development within each country; and prepare plans for implementing appropriate technologies that would also assist other countries by demonstrating the viability of the nominated technologies for particular purposes. The purposes and processes comprising the TNA will be recognizable to IS practitioners worldwide. These are well established in the IS field and have been proven effective in many organizations. The scope of traditional IS research encompasses these activities. However, the scale is global: not just organizations or industries but countries and continents. Two examples illustrate the global scale: 'since 1999, more than 85 developing countries have assessed their technology needs to address climate change' (UNFCCC, 2016b, p. 7) and 'since 1991, the GEF (UNFCCC's Global Environment Facility) has supported developing countries to implement more than 800 projects with mitigation technology transfer objectives through over USD 5 billion of funding and USD 40 billion of co-financing' (UNFCCC, 2016b, p. 8). All are collaborating in pursuit of a shared vision: to address a global challenge. Conclusions 'We will move to a low-carbon world because nature will force us, or because policy will guide us. If we wait until nature forces us, the cost will be astronomical' [Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary, UNCCS, 2015, p. 59]. The world has been made aware of climate change and of the necessity to reverse the negative impacts of human behaviour on the environment by a succession of authoritative reports over decades (e.g. IPCC, 1990–2014; Stern, 2007; UN, 1987). Despite significant progress with verified results in many areas, much greater effort is required more urgently to prevent further deterioration of the climate system and to reduce carbon emissions to more sustainable levels. In the near future, a broader research focus will be required, including business, government, communities and individuals within all organizations as well as individuals acting separately, e.g. contributing to reducing carbon emissions through their personal decisions to purchase energy from renewable sources, driving low or no-carbon emitting vehicles, using public transport, installing home power generation capacity through solar panels, recycling water, installing smart-home technology to monitor and managing energy consumption (DNV GL, 2017). In isolation, these decisions may appear to be insignificant but collectively across communities the impact on the environment could be substantial. So, what could the IS community do? When? Why? The What and When questions could be addressed by accepting our individual and collective responsibilities to contribute to addressing this global priority and by immediately commencing actions as and where we can by addressing issues locally, nationally and internationally. Coordinating our actions to support existing efforts, including implementation of technology needs assessments for developing countries, will ensure our actions are most effective. Locally, we could be supporting cities and local organizations to address their identified requirements for sustainability. Collaboration between business, government and society is critical. As to the question, Why? Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, presents a stark choice: 'If we can't all swim together, we will sink. There is no Plan B, because there is no Planet B' (UNCCS, 2015, p. 51). Confronted by this existential global challenge, the IS community needs to demonstrate its relevance through more systemic collaboration with business, governments and societies to support global efforts addressing climate change. The necessity for a rapid response to our degrading environment creates an imperative for urgent action. The IS community needs to consider: Do the global responses to the challenges of environmental sustainability require IS-enabled solutions? How can the IS community contribute most effectively? Why are we not doing so, urgently, on a global scale? Acknowlegements We thank Robert Davison for guiding this special issue, as well as our associate editors (Ann-Frances Cameron, Jason Dedrick, Neil Doherty, Yulin Fang, Dirk Hovorka, Dorothy Leidner, Rikard Lindgren, Nigel Melville, John Mooney, Michael Myers, Ravi Patnayakuni, Jan Recker, Christoph Schneider, Stefan Seidel, Teresa Shaft, Sandy Staples, Daniel Veit, Rick Watson and Louise Whittaker) and many expert reviewers for their commendable assistance with this special issue. This research was supported by a Social Sciences Research Council of Canada grant to Jane Webster. References Cohen, W.M. & Levinthal, D.A. (1990) Absorptive capacity: a new perspective on learning and innovation. Administrative Science Quarterly, 35, 128– 152. Corbett, J., Webster, J. & Jenkin, T. (in press) Unmasking corporate sustainability at the project level: exploring the influence of institutional logics and individual agency. Journal of Business Ethics. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-015-2945-1. 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