Call for Papers

CfP special issue on "Social Welfare Computing"

Guest Editors

* Eric K. Clemons, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, USA, clemons(at)upenn.edu
* Maximilian Schreieck, University of Innsbruck, Austria, maximilian.schreieck(at)uibk.ac.at
* Helmut Krcmar, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Germany, helmut.krcmar(at)tum.de
*Tung Bui, University of Hawaii at M?noa Shidler College of Business, Honolulu, HI, USA, tungb(at)hawaii.edu 

Theme

After the first special issue on Social Welfare Computing in Electronic Markets' issue 32/2, this second special issue aims to continue the discussion of regulatory policy to minimize the harm caused by online platforms and by their abuse of the power created by their business models. This refers to limitations of current EU digital policy statements, such as the recently agreed Digital Services Act updates, or the Directive on Copyright in a Single Digital Market, or other descriptions of EU policy. Similarly, large online platforms may represent an existential threat to societal cohesion as highlighted by the recent Nobel Laureate Maria Ressa.

Equally important is to maximize social welfare resulting from the offerings provided by these platforms, which requires that regulatory policy must not limit innovation. Areas where rapid increase in capabilities require regulatory relaxation rather than increased regulatory strictness. As only one example, new technologies have yields increases capabilities to create works with artistic and creative merit by modifying and reusing existing works protected by intellectual property rights. Since IP protections are designed to benefit society by increasing the supply of creative works, increased value from reuse of protected works suggests that current balance between ensuring supply and ensuring access may now be too restrictive.

Finally, regulatory policy toward online platforms must avoid creating opportunities for technology companies based in markets like China, which would be less responsive to Western attempts at regulation. It calls for policies for protecting benign and essential platforms from unfair competition from more dangerous and more abusive platforms. As the power, influence, and revenues of platform giants approaches that of the nation-states in which they operate, there is a need for a greater sense of social responsibility and obligation for corporations to benefit the societies in which they operate, beyond the benefits that they already provide to customers and to shareholders.

Central issues and topics

The appropriate topics for paper submissions include the following, but are not limited to topics on this list:

• New approaches to consumer protection and the changing role of information asymmetry
• New online business models, new sources of power, new forms of abuse of power, and the possible need for new antimonopoly regulations
• Normative models for Social Welfare Computing: what should society expect from ethical online businesses, just as we are asking what society should expect from ethical fossil fuel companies
• The changing relationship between online platforms and the state: can platforms become too powerful for the state to control, just as the state became too powerful for the church to control?
• Regulatory relaxation: when do the benefits from new platform capabilities justify regulatory relaxation rather than increased regulatory restrictions?
• New approaches to review the manipulation of public opinion, fake news, and the threat to western democracies

Submission

Electronic Markets is a Social Science Citation Index (SSCI)-listed journal (IF 8.5 in 2022) in the area of information systems. For this special issue, original contributions with a broad range of methodological approaches, including conceptual, qualitative, and quantitative research are sought for. In particular, the option to submit position papers and case studies should be considered for this special issue. All papers should fit the journal scope (for more information, see www.electronicmarkets.org/about-em/scope/) and will undergo a double-blind peer-review process. Papers must be submitted via Electronic Markets’ submission system at elma.edmgr.com. Depending on the article format (e.g., research/position paper), 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/. You may contact the guest editors if you would like to discuss any aspect of this special issue. 

Keywords

Social Welfare Computing, online platform power, online business regulation, fake news and manipulation of voters

Important deadline

* Submission Deadline: 31 July 2023

References

Alt, R. (2022) From competitive advantage to social welfare – An interview with Eric K. Clemons. Electronic Markets, 32(2), 487–492. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12525-022-00577-5   

Clemons, E.K., Schreieck, M., Hermes, S., Rowe F., & Krcmar, H. (2022a) The cooperation paradox. Electronic Markets, 32(2), 459–471. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12525-022-00534-2

Clemons, E.K., Schreieck, M., Krcmar, H. & Bui, T. (2022b) Social Welfare Computing and the management and regulation of new online business models. Electronic Markets, 32(2), 411–414. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12525-022-00535-1

Clemons, E.K., Waran, R.V., Hermes, S., Schreieck, M., & Krcmar, H. (2022c) Computing and Social Welfare. Electronic Markets, 32(2), 417–436. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12525-021-00512-0

Kokuryo, J. (2022). An Asian perspective on the governance of cyber civilization. Electronic Markets, 32(2), 475-485. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12525-022-00523-5

Rowe, F., & Markus, M. L. (2022). Taking the measure of digital giants: Amazon and the social welfare computing research agenda. Electronic Markets, 32(2), 437-446. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12525-022-00544-0

Trzaskowski, J. (2022). Data-driven value extraction and human well-being under EU law. Electronic Markets, 32(2), 447-458. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12525-022-00528-0

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