2nd Edition of the International Conference on Sustainable Business Practices in a VUCA World - ICSBP2024

Track Chairs :

• Dr. Abla CHAOUNI BENABDELLAH, Rabat Business School, UIR, Morocco
• Dr. Kamar ZEKHNINI, ENSAM, UMI University, Morocco
• Dr. Maled MASMOUDI, University of Sharjah, College of Engineering, Sharjah, UAE
• Dr. Arij LAHMAR, Dubai Business School, University of Dubai, UAE

The world is characterized by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA). In such an environment, the emergence of Industry 4.0 and the growing adoption of digital technologies are altering the old supply chain landscape. The digitalization of supply chain processes is opening new opportunities for enterprises to build more intelligent, more efficient, resilient, and agile supply chains. Despite its growing popularity, its meaning is still widely misunderstood. Several experts have noticed that the rapid advancement of digital technologies has substantially enhanced various corporate operations, including supply chain management. (SCM). Industry 4.0’s implementation in manufacturing has a tremendous impact on the entire supply chain. The collaboration between suppliers, manufacturers, and customers is essential to increase transparency from order dispatch to product end-of-life. Furthermore, process automation and digitization have resulted in major changes in the supply chain structure. These innovations, however, have disruptive impacts on supply chains and will continue to drive change in the future. As a result, it is critical to examine the influence of Industry 4.0 on the entire supply chain, highlighting the problems, risks, and possibilities in SCM because of digitalization. Understanding how Industry 4.0 influences SCM and vice versa will also be required. This track session intends to bring together a collection of papers from researchers, academics, and practitioners that provide useful insights into the context of SCM 4.0. Original research, case studies, or review papers that offer unique insights on the influence of Industry 4.0 on supply chain management are welcome to be submitted. The papers should analyze the difficulties, risks, and possibilities brought forth by supply chain digitization.  Furthermore, the papers should investigate how Industry 4.0 influences the structure of the supply chain and how to adapt to the changes. This track session will serve as a forum for beneficial debates and idea exchanges among specialists in the subject.

Potential Topics include, but are not limited to the following topics:

• Digital technologies and their impact on supply chain operations
• Data analytics and artificial intelligence in supply chain management
• Blockchain and smart contracts in the digital supply chain
• IoT and sensor technologies for real-time visibility and control of the supply chain
• Digital twins and simulation for supply chain optimization
• Cybersecurity and risk management in the digital supply chain
• Digital supply chain talent management and workforce development
• The digital transformation of supply chains and its impact on supply chain performance
• The role of lean management practices in improving digital supply chain efficiency
• Green/sustainability initiatives and their impact on digital supply chain performance
• Viable initiatives on digital supply chain performance
• The circular economy and its impact on digital supply chain performance
• The use of digital technologies to improve supply chain visibility and transparency.
• Collaborative and connected digital supply chain ecosystem.
• End-to-end visibility in the digital supply chain
• Data-driven approaches to digital supply chain performance
• The role of dynamic capabilities in supply chain resilience and performance
• The impact of Industry 4.0 technologies on net zero economy
• The role of digital technologies in supply chain risk management

Track Chairs:

• Dr. IMAD EL HARRAKI, Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Rabat (ENSMR)
• Dr. ABDELBARI REDOUANE, Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Rabat (ENSMR)

This track focuses on the role of optimal control in achieving net-zero carbon and sustainable operations and logistics. It aims to bring together experts from academia, industry, and government to share their experiences and insights on using optimal control to optimize operations and logistics for sustainability.

Suggested Topics

• Mathematical Modeling for Sustainable Operations: Developing mathematical models for sustainable operations and logistics using optimization techniques such as linear and nonlinear programming, mixed-integer programming, and stochastic programming.
• Energy Optimization for Net-zero Carbon Operations: Optimization of energy systems, including renewable energy integration, energy storage, demand response, and energy-efficient operations.
• Sustainable Transportation Optimization: Optimization of transportation operations, including routing, scheduling, mode selection, and fleet management, to reduce carbon emissions and increase efficiency.
• Supply Chain Optimization for Sustainability: Optimization of supply chain operations, including network design, inventory management, and sourcing, to reduce environmental impact and increase resilience.
• Decision Support Tools for Sustainable Operations: Development of decision support tools using optimization techniques to facilitate sustainable operations, including real-time control, predictive analytics, and scenario analysis.
• Integration of Multiple Objectives: Development of multi-objective optimization techniques to balance economic, environmental, and social objectives in sustainable operations and logistics.
• Uncertainty and Risk Management: Development of optimization techniques to manage uncertainty and risk in sustainable operations and logistics, including stochastic optimization and robust optimization.
• Big Data Analytics and Optimization: Integration of big data analytics with optimization techniques to improve sustainability in operations and logistics, including machine learning, deep learning, and artificial intelligence.
• Optimization-based Control Strategies: Development of optimization-based control strategies for energy systems, transportation systems, and supply chains to achieve net-zero carbon and sustainable operations.
• Policy and Regulation: Analysis of the impact of policy and regulation on sustainable operations and logistics, and the development of optimization techniques to comply with policy requirements.

Track Chairs:

• Dr. Mustapha Oudani, TICLab, International University of Rabat
• Dr. Anass Sebbar, TICLab, International University of Rabat

Optimization in logistics and transportation systems is becoming a critical factor in increasing a company’s competitive advantage. Furthermore, the security of manufacturing systems is becoming a major issue. This special track will address issues concerning supply chain optimization, security, and resilience. The goal is to disseminate recent theoretical and methodological developments, significant technical applications, case studies and survey results for supply chain using modeling, solving methods, simulation and optimization, risk management, resilience and security, cyber-physical security, Industry 4.0, Blockchain technology, etc.

The topics of interest include but are not limited to:

• Combinatorial optimization for transportation, logistics and manufacturing systems
• Mitigation strategies for security issues in manufacturing systems
• Intelligent transportation and logistics systems
• Artificial intelligence approaches for supply chain

Track Chairs:

• Dr. Anass Cherrafi, Associate Professor Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, Morocco
• Dr. Said Elfezazi, Professor Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, Morocco

Supply chains are critical to the success of many industries, and the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of resilient and sustainable supply chains. This track will explore how businesses can ensure the survivability, resilience, and sustainability of their supply chains. Topics to be discussed may include risk management, Business continuity management, green supply chain, circular economy, and more.

This track is designed for professionals and academics with an interest in supply chain management, logistics, sustainability, and risk management. Presentations and discussions will provide attendees with insights and ideas for creating supply chains that are resilient, sustainable, and able to adapt to changing circumstances.

Track Chair:

• Dr. Jean-Noël BEKA BE NGUEMA, Rabat Business School, UIR, Morocco 

Supply chains are complex networks of enterprises that experience continual turbulence, creating a potential for unpredictable disruptions. In fact, executives identify supply chain risk as the highest threat to their firms (FM Global 2007). Studies by the Council for Competitiveness found that, although effectively managing such operational risks directly affects financial performance, a majority of corporate board members were under-informed about those risks (Council on Competitiveness 2007). Furthermore, traditional risk management techniques are lacking in their ability to assess the complexities of supply chains, evaluate the intricate interdependencies of threats, and prepare an enterprise for the unknowns of the future (Hertz and Thomas 1983; Starr, Newfrock, and Delurey 2003). Becoming aware of these gaps, many supply chain researchers are beginning to understand the value of the concept of resilience, defined as “the capacity for an enterprise to survive, adapt, and grow in the face of turbulent change” (Fiksel 2006).

Many tools and methods have been proposed to help business enterprises cope with continual change and survive in the long-term.

Accordingly, in this track, scholars may briefly review those methods, both old and new, that have contributed to dealing with supply chain disruptions. These provide a foundation for the concept of supply chain resilience. In addition, through the present track, scholars may develop the concept of supply chain resilience through a review of the literature on supply chain vulnerabilities and the techniques used to anticipate, mitigate, and overcome disruptions. Based on the framework, scholars may posit several propositions with regards to the concept of supply chain resilience.

Track Chairs:

• Prof. Sabri Boubaker, EM Normandie Business School, Paris, France, sboubaker@em-normandie.fr
• Dr. Ahmed Imran Hunjra, Rabat Business School, International University of Rabat, Morocco, Imran.ahmed@uir.ac.ma

Corporate governance, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) are the two pillars that form the bedrock of successful and responsible companies. Their effective implementation is crucial not only for the growth and profitability of firms but also for the betterment of society. These factors play a critical role in various business operations and strategic decision-making processes that shape the long-term sustainability of corporations. Thus, they are the key determinants of rational decision-making in the corporate world. Companies that prioritize these aspects are more likely to achieve sustainable growth, attract ethical investments, and enjoy a positive reputation in the market.

This track offers a unique opportunity to explore the latest research and best practices in corporate finance, corporate governance, and CSR/ESG. The topics of interest span a broad spectrum, ranging from corporate investment and financing to social and environmental reporting and ESG and ethical issues. This track aims to deepen our understanding of how these factors interconnect and their impact on the performance and influence of companies on society and the environment.

The topics of interest for this track include, but are not limited to:

• Corporate investment,
• Financing decision & financial structure,
• Firms operating capital,
• Profit distribution,
• Dividend policy,
• Corporate social responsibility,
• ESG and corporate decision making, CSR
• Corporate governance in accounting,
• Agency theory & agency problem
• Managerial compensation
• Ownership structure
• Board characteristics
• Audit characteristics
• Green governance
• Investment policies
• Business ethics and CSR,
• Corporate governance in finance, Social and environmental reporting,
• Gender diversity
• Bank stability
• Financial development & firm performance
• Financial regulations and resilience

Track Chairs:

• Prof. Maria Giuseppina Bruna, Dean for Research and Development, Endowed Chairs, Executive Education and CSR, Co-Dean for Research and Faculty, IPAG Business School, Paris, France mg.bruna@ipag.fr
• Dr. Mahamadou Biga-Diambeidou, LouRIM, UCLouvain, Belgium, mahamadou.biga@uclouvain.be
• Dr. Ahmed Imran Hunjra, Rabat Business School, International University of Rabat, Morocco, Imran.ahmed@uir.ac.ma

The term ethical finance refers to the endorsement (and embeddedness) of ethical issues as well as environmental, social, and governance (ESG) aspects in investment strategies. In fact, responsible governance, sustainability, social acceptability and inclusiveness engender a crucial influence on borrowers’ and investors’ orientations and practices.

The field of ethical, social and behavioral finance is concerned and interacts with human and organizational values and addresses the ecosystemic, strategic, processual and, thus, practical alignment of companies.

It calls for research on the motivations by which ethical values and deontological principles influence, manifest themselves and inform business decision-making and practices.

In the present days, a new financial sub-discipline called behavioral finance has ignited a wave in explaining the behavioral aspects of investment decisions. It is becoming an essential part of the decision-making process because it has a great influence on investors’ decision-making behavior and will help them to select a better investment option. Investors are generally less able to objectively evaluate companies’ risks and returns and tend to be emotionally biased in their trading decisions. Many economic and financial theories presume that investors act rationally; however, they are only human. They act according to market sentiments and some even follow their gut feeling when making financial decisions; therefore, it is necessary to examine the factors that prompt the investors to make investment decisions. Many researchers have discussed the investors’ behavior and tried to enhance the understanding of people managing investments in different ways; it is mainly personal characteristics that influence investment decision-making. The nature of psychological factors and individuals’ behavior at the time of investment decision-making are important to discuss.

In these times of crises, a stellar attention and a growing recognition is placed by investors (as well as institutional, retail and company ones) and financial experts on the valuable, consistent, and, thus, measurable, environmental, social and economic effects of sustainable development policies, both in developed and in emerging/in-transition economies.

Ethical finance and investment are gaining traction at an unprecedented level, both internationally and nationally. Previously, it was primarily the voluntaristic choice, thus, the responsibility of ethically compliant finance providers and investors to support, recognize and label enterprises with an environmental or social purpose. However, ethical finance movies from ‘anomic novelty’ to ‘canonic mainstream’, from heterodoxy to orthodoxy. From the disruptive to the expectable, ethical finance is called to become a conventional (even if not yet ordinary) financial practice.

Research testifies of the increasing endorsement of ESG factors in organizational strategies and investment decisions and, more globally, of the impellent corporate reporting on the social, environmental and territorial impact of economic activity, considering the Global Compact principles as well as the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

According to the Global Ethical Finance Forum, the investment in assets managed ethically is massively expanding around the world with more retail and professional investors endorsing ESG variables as key-factors for materiality matrix drawing, risk assessment and borrowing cost evaluation, financial products (or corporate companies) strategy positioning as well as investment decision-making and as overall rewards expectations.

As the finance markets have evolved, ESG principles have to be considered, at the age of climate change, as new regular, main-stream and socially indispensable standards, offering critical safeguards to underpin investment and finance decisions. When funds and lenders are perceived to be failing to use appropriate ESG elements in their decision-making processes, they are increasingly being questioned.

Accordingly, the literature in finance, economy and strategic management investigates and assesses the positive (or suitable) impacts of holistic, integrated, strategic as well as process-based and monitored CSR / Sustainability / Diversity-Inclusion policies world-wide, adopting a range of complementary (geographical, methodological and level-based) perspectives.

Ethical and social finance constitutes a stimulating, compelling and dynamic area of research and experimentation for 21st-century businesses.

The present track provides a fresh look at social, ethical aspects along with behavioral finance implementation and sustainability and inclusive management providing organizations, business and society, with global, positive, and long-term repercussions.

The track aims at investigating ESG looking at new challenges for companies and markets, new venues for research and new issues for citizens and society.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Conceptual papers on social regulation, sustainability and resilience in times of crises,
• Narrative Reviews / Meta-analysis / Systematic review of the literature on social regulations (Adopting multi-level perspectives – institutional, legal, market-based and/or corporate regulations), on social regulations in times of crises, social regulations and CSR challenges,
• Empirical papers investigating the relationships among social regulation and sustainability,
• Empirical papers on social regulations in times of crises, grounded in innovative and robust multilevel, comparative and/or interdisciplinary approaches,
• Empirical papers on sustainability, responsibility and CSR challenges, policies and practices in times of crises.
• Empirical studies which provide new evidence on “pluralistic regulation” in times of crises,
• Ethical, social and environmental strategies, change management, assessment and reporting,
• Cultural and their impact on firms’ financial structure,
• Religiosity and religious affiliations, ESG and corporate decision making,
• Ethics in accounting and finance,
• Business ethics and CSR,
• Social and sustainable entrepreneurship,
• Welfare and social preferences,
• Personal characteristics and decision-making,
• Psychological factors and decision-making,
• Social factors and decision-making,
• Individuals’ behavior at the time of investment decision-making
• Personality traits and decision-making,

Track Chairs:

• Prof. Khaled Hussainey, University of Portsmouth, UK, khaled.hussainey@port.ac.uk
• Dr. Ahmed Imran Hunjra, Rabat Business School, International University of Rabat, Morocco, Imran.ahmed@uir.ac.ma

Green/Sustainable/Energy finance & accounting is now more vital than ever. Its goal is to use environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles when making financial choices and constructing financial services, therefore benefiting society as a whole rather than just investors. Academics and practitioners are debating the importance of green/sustainable/energy finance, which extends beyond finance’s fundamental purpose of supporting the economy. Green finance is now more vital than ever. Since green financing receives widespread interest from financial markets, political players, and the general public. Its goal is to use environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles when making financial choices and constructing financial services, therefore benefiting society as a whole rather than just investors. Academics and practitioners are debating the importance of green finance, which extends beyond finance’s fundamental purpose of supporting the economy. Recognizing the importance of non-financial concerns, the investing world has noticed a change in emphasis from shareholder values to stakeholder values. Extra-financial considerations must be included in financial decision-making processes in financial markets, corporate finance, and corporate governance. Many concerns are still unsettled, and many questions remain unanswered: How to deploy money best in terms of financial and non-financial performance, how to finance the economy and meet a range of stakeholders (firms, investors, and society) interests from a broader perspective? What are the implications of fund allocation for risk management for firms and investors? What role do policymakers play in the development of green finance?

When it comes to green finance, it refers to the allocation of private and public capital to initiatives that not only prevent environmental degradation and related consequences such as climate change and air pollution but also generate a wide range of social benefits and adequate financial returns for investors. As a result, green finance incorporates several cross-cutting ideas. Green finance is significant because it encourages and supports the flow of financial instruments and related services toward the creation and execution of long-term business models, investments, trade, economic, environmental, and social initiatives and policies. The internalisation of environmental externalities and the reduction of risk perceptions are the two primary aims of green finance. Transparency and long-term planning are encouraged by green finance, which incorporates all of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) when making investments that benefit the environment (SDGs). Eco-friendly finance encompasses a wide range of financial goods and services, which may be broken down into three broad categories: investing, banking, and insurance. In green finance, debt and equity are the most common financial vehicles. New financial products, such as green bonds and carbon market instruments, as well as new financial organisations, such as green banks and green funds, have been developed to fulfil the increasing demand. There is still a lot of interest in renewable energy investments, sustainable infrastructure funding, and green bonds.

We are expecting the topics from several expects i.e.:

• Green Energy,
• Sustainable Development SDGS 2030,
• Green Growth,
• Environmental finance,
• Financing green energy,
• Financing sustainable goals,
• Green bonds for dealing with environmental concerns,
• Challenges in Green banking,
• Trends, opportunities, and risks in sustainable finance,
• Sustainable investing and funding among others

Track Chair:

• Dr. Kerim Karmeni, Rabat Business School, International University of Rabat, Morocco, kerim.karmeni@uir.ac.ma

Digitalization refers to the use of the digital technologies in business in order to create value (Zhou et al 2021). The digitalization of the business environment has created new organizational challenges for firms. It modified the ways of working and how people use technology. The digitalization carries organizational challenges and it leads to new ecosystems.

Digital technologies are disrupting the management accounting function, and this disruption is likely to increase. Indeed, management accounting and control practices as well as the role of the controller are deeply impacted by the adoption of digital technologies (Möller et al 2020). Although the importance of the impact of digitalization on management accounting for both practitioners and academics, there a little knowledge about the topic (Möller et al 2020; Quattrone, 2016). In this context, several research opportunities can be identified (Möller et al 2020):

How organizations configure their management control systems (MCS) to achieve sustainable performance in a digital context? What is the right mix between Human/Machine in management accounting function? What role will be played by specific technologies in performance management and measurement systems (PMMS)? Which competencies are required in a more digitalized context? What is the impact of digitalization on the roles of controllers?

The key topics of the track include:

• The potential impact of emerging technologies on the sustainable organizational performance,
• The design of management control systems in a digital context,
• The future of performance management and measurement systems,
• The impact of digitalization on management controller’s role.
• Any other type of contributions that helps to advance this theme.

Track Chairs:

• Dr. AbdelKader EL ALAOUI, Rabat Business School, International University of Rabat, Morocco, abdelkader.elalaoui@uir.ac.ma
• Dr. Boujemâa ACHCHAB, Hassan 1st University, Berrechid, Morocco

The field of AI has a wide range of applications in Finance & Economics and is expanding very rapidly as a subset of computer science. As the amount of data available continues to grow, these techniques are more likely to constitute an essential discipline by shaping the future of Economics and financial system. Its innovative aspect is attracting interest of researchers who may suggest new horizons by exploring its multifaceted dimensions

Within The RBS 2024 conference, this track will provide an opportunity for researchers, PhD students and experts to present their innovative research, exchange ideas, and foster collaboration on critical applications and issues pertaining to AI and their implications for financial and economic aspects.

We invite researchers to contribute with papers focusing on different aspects and applications of AI, conversational AI in finance, Machine Learning and Deep Learning in Finance & Economics by unveiling new frontiers for research and practice in the field, fostering both theoretical and empirical contributions.

Papers may address, but are not limited to, the following list of potential topics:

• Machine and deep learning algorithms in the price predictions in financial markets.
• Machine learning algorithms applied to risk management.
• Managing credit risk by using AI techniques
• Detection of fraudulent activities in financial transactions using ML/DL
• Trading strategies and automated trading systems based on financial data analysis using DL/ML
• Portfolio management and optimization based on ML/DL
• Efficient allocation of assets (equities/Bonds/derivatives) using AI algorithms
• Natural Language Processing (NLP) applied identify trends and sentiment related to financial markets and individual companies by analyzing news articles, social media posts, and other sources of text data.
• Using AI to Identify anomalies in credit card transactions or detect patterns of suspicious activity in banking accounts.
• Role of Generative AI – GAI – (such as ChatGPT, Google Bard, Chinchilla, Adam, Wessel, Benlian and their Emerging competitors) in the field of Finance
• Impact of GAI on business and investors behavior
• Effect of GAI on wealth management, investment recommendations and personal finance
• Risk management and financial planning using GAI,
• Financial applications and Innovations of GAI
• Regulation and legal framework of GAI versus its ethicality in finance, business, and economics
• GAI in banking and finance: theories, state of art and future directions for research
• Interactions between blockchain, big data and GAI

Track Chairs:

• Dr. Amina Dchieche, Rabat Business School, International University of Rabat, Morocco, amina.dchieche@uir.ac.ma
• Dr. AbdelKader EL ALAOUI, Rabat Business School, International University of Rabat, Morocco, abdelkader.elalaoui@uir.ac.ma

The field of Islamic economics and finance is expanding rapidly in different regions around the world. Its ethical and innovative aspects are attracting interest of researchers who may suggest new horizons for diverse investors who aim to align their financial activities with Islamic law and for investors who perceive it as a means for diversification purpose

Within the RBS 2024 conference, this track aims to serve as a platform for high-level dialogues and discussions among academics, researchers, PhD students, practitioners, leaders, and policymakers, with the goal of shaping the next decade of Islamic economics, banking & finance.

Keywords: Islamic finance, Islamic banking, Islamic insurance, sukuk, financial crises, risk management, governance, Shariah compliance, ethical investment, organizational management, Microfinance, SDGs.

We invite researchers to contribute with papers focusing on underexplored or new areas in the field, fostering both theoretical and empirical contributions.

Papers may address, but are not limited to, the following list of potential topics:

• Examine the response and resilience of Islamic financial institutions and products during global financial crises.
• Assess the role of Islamic banking in systemic risk and its potential for promoting financial stability.
• Compare the risk and return characteristics of sukuk (Islamic bonds) and conventional bonds.
• Explore the pricing dynamics of sukuk within Islamic financial markets.
• Assess performance and behavior of Islamic financial instruments:
• Investigate the performance and transactions’ costs of Islamic mutual funds during and after shocks or financial crises.
• Analyze the risk and return profiles of Islamic and conventional stock indexes.
• Evaluate the risk and return attributes of Shariah-compliant stocks.
• Explore governance and operational aspects of Islamic finance:
• Examine the role and effectiveness of Shariah boards in Islamic financial institutions.
• Compare the governance structures, profitability, and business models of Islamic and conventional stock exchanges.
• Evaluate risk management and performance of Islamic insurance.
• Investigate the risk-return profile, and business models of takaful (Islamic insurance) and conventional insurance.
• Assess the unique features and challenges associated with takaful operations.
• Explore the impact of Islamic principles on organizational and management practices.
• Analyze the role of economic moralities in shaping business practices within an Islamic context.
• Investigate the relationship between Islamic principles, ethicality and/or socially responsible investment.
• Microfinance, financial inclusion and poverty alleviation.
• SDGs versus Islamic Banking, insurance and Finance
• Liquidity risk in Islamic banking
• Influence of oil prices on Islamic banks’ risk and performance
• Risk-return profiles of Islamic and conventional stock indexes
• Portfolio maximization with Shariah compliant financial instruments
• Comparison between Islamic and SRI investments
• Governance, profitability, structure of Islamic and conventional stock exchanges
• Corporate governance in Islamic financial institutions
• Islamic differences in the management of organizations and workplace spirituality
• Economic moralities and the role of Islam in shaping business practices
• Islam’s law and role in creating synergy and conflict.
• Relationship of Islam to ethical or socially responsible investment.

Track Chair:

• Dr. Deepa Sethi, Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode, India, deepa@iimk.ac.in

Consumers are influenced by many psychological, social, and personal factors that influence their perception of a brand. The brand is a powerful tool to attract more consumers to buy particular products and services.  The way consumers behave is fundamental to marketing. Additionally, it is necessary to gain an understanding of the evolution and trends in consumer behavior in this new digital era. This track session will serve as a forum for beneficial debates and idea exchanges among specialists in the subject.

Potential Topics include but are not limited to the following topics:

• Internal and External factors which Influence Consumer behaviour and purchasing habits.
• The psychology of consumer language.
• Celebrity Endorsements and Influence Intentions.
• Brand-conscious and Consumer Choices.

Within RBS 2024 conference, the Consumer Behavior & Brand Marketing track will allow researchers, PhD students, and industry experts to present their innovative research, exchange ideas, and foster collaboration on critical problems in the Consumer Behavior & Brand Marketing domain and their implications for market growth and consumer well beingness. We invite contributions with theoretical, empirical, and conceptual papers, which may address and are not limited to consumer Behaviour & Brand Marketing only.

Track Chair:

• Dr. Vikas Arya, Rabat Business School, Morocco, vikas.arya@uir.ac.ma

As technology continues to advance, the relationship between Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), the Metaverse, and Robotics in marketing is becoming increasingly crucial. AR and VR provide immersive experiences, enabling brands to engage consumers in novel ways, such as through virtual try-ons, interactive product demonstrations, and gamified marketing campaigns. The emergent Metaverse, a shared virtual space where users can interact and create, offers enormous opportunities for brands to establish a presence and forge genuine consumer connections. However, robotics can improve brand interactions by streamlining customer service and enhancing personalized experiences. Employing these technologies in marketing enables brands to remain ahead of the curve, stand out in a competitive environment, and create unforgettable experiences that resonate with their target audience, nurturing brand loyalty and advocacy.

Potential Topics include but are not limited to the following topics:

• Emotion Analytics in VR Advertising.
• The Impact of Augmented Reality on Consumer Behaviour: A Comparative Study of AR and Traditional Marketing Strategies.
• The Impact of Augmented Reality on Consumer Behaviour.
• Augmented Reality Marketing: Analysing the Effects of AR Advertising on Consumer Attitudes and Purchase Intentions.
• Metaverse -Marketing, Inclusion, Gamification, and Fashion growth.
• AVATR in Metaverse – Identity Change and Opportunity for Luxury Brand

Within RBS 2024 conference, AR, VR, Metaverse, and Robotics in Marketing Track will allow researchers, PhD students, and industry experts to present their innovative research, exchange ideas, and foster collaboration on critical problems in the AR, VR, Metaverse, and robotics in the Marketing domain and their implications for market growth and consumer well-being. We invite contributions with theoretical, empirical, and conceptual papers, which may address, and which are not limited to AR, VR, Metaverse, and Robotics in marketing only.

Track Chair:

• Dr. Chris N OSAKWE – Rabat Business School, Morocco, christian-nedu.osakwe@uir.ac.ma

Marketing of luxury brands, retail, and services plays an important role in today’s competitive market. Luxury brands exemplify exclusivity, craftsmanship, and prestige, and they appeal to discerning consumers in search of superior quality and standing. Luxury Brand, Retail & Service Marketing emphasizes exceptional customer service, and customized experiences beyond the product itself. These elements are crucial because they enable luxury brands to preserve their brand equity, cultivate consumer loyalty, and set themselves apart from mass-market competitors. The study of Luxury Brand, Retail, and Service Marketing is essential because it provides insight into the unique strategies required to appeal to affluent consumers and the complexities of creating exclusive, high-end experiences. Understanding these specialized areas enables businesses to differentiate themselves, foster brand loyalty, and flourish in the highly competitive luxury market.

Potential Topics include but are not limited to the following topics:

• Exploring the Role of Exclusivity and Rarity in Luxury Brand Marketing: A Consumer Behavior Perspective.
• The Influence of Heritage and Brand Storytelling in Luxury Retail Marketing: A Cross-Cultural Analysis.
• Omni-Channel Marketing in the Luxury Industry: Assessing the Integration of Online and Offline Channels.
• The Influence of Social Media on Luxury Brand Image and Consumer Engagement: A Multi-Platform Analysis.

Within RBS 2024 conference, Luxury Brand, Retail & Service Marketing Track will allow researchers, PhD students, and industry experts to present their innovative research, exchange ideas, and foster collaboration on critical problems in the Luxury Brand, Retail & Service Marketing domain and their implications for market growth and consumer well-being. We invite contributions with theoretical, empirical, and conceptual papers, which may address, and which are not limited to Luxury Brand, Retail & Service Marketing. 

Track Chair:

• Dr. Anshuman Sharma, Ajman University, UAE & Ganesh Das – Saudi Electronic University, Saudi Arabia, sharma@ajman.ac.ae

Advertising and Digital Marketing Communications is essential because it empowers individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the digital age’s swiftly changing marketing and communication landscape. Understanding advertising principles enables marketers to create campaigns that effectively reach and engage their target audiences. Moreover, digital marketing communications provide insights into leveraging various online platforms and technologies, allowing businesses to establish a strong online presence, cultivate meaningful customer relationships, and drive business growth in an increasingly digital and interconnected world.

Potential Topics include but are not limited to the following topics:

• Personalization and Consumer Engagement in Digital Marketing: Analyzing the Effectiveness of Targeted Content Strategies.
• Cross-Cultural Differences in Digital Marketing Communications: Understanding the Role of Culture in Global Brand Promotion.
• Mobile Advertising Effectiveness: Investigating the Impact of In-App and Mobile Web Advertising on Consumer Behavior.

Within RBS 2024 conference, Advertising and Digital Marketing Communications Track will allow researchers, PhD students, and industry experts to present innovative research, exchange ideas, and foster collaboration on critical problems in the Advertising and Digital Marketing Communications domain and their implications for market growth and consumer well-being. We invite contributions with theoretical, empirical, and conceptual papers, which may address and are not limited to Advertising and Digital Marketing Communications. 

Track Chair:

• Dr. Hiran Roy- Fairleigh Dickinson University, Vancouver, Canada, hiranroy@fdu.edu

Marketing Ethics, Sustainability, and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Practices by Brands is essential because it promotes responsible and ethical business practices that have a positive effect on society and the environment. Understanding marketing ethics ensures that brands communicate and interact with consumers with transparency, honesty, and equity. In addition, embracing sustainability and CSR practices enables brands to contribute to a more sustainable future, acquire consumer trust, and establish strong, long-term relationships with socially conscious customers who value ethical and environmentally responsible brands

Potential Topics include but are not limited to the following topics:

• The Role of Green Marketing in Driving Sustainable Consumption: A Comparative Study of Eco-Friendly Brand Communication Strategies.
• Ethical Consumer Behavior: Understanding the Role of Marketing Ethics in Consumer Decision-Making.
• Sustainability Reporting and Consumer Trust: Analyzing the Influence of Transparent CSR Communication on Brand Credibility.

Within RBS 2024 conference, Marketing Ethics, Sustainability & CSR Practices by Brands track will allow researchers, PhD students, and industry experts to present their innovative research, exchange ideas, and foster collaboration on critical problems in the Marketing Ethics, Sustainability & CSR Practices by Brands domain and their implications for market growth and consumer well-being. We invite contributions with theoretical, empirical, and conceptual papers, which may address, and which are not limited to Marketing Ethics, Sustainability & CSR Practices by Brands.

Track Chairs:

• Dr. Vikas Arya, RBS, Morocco
• Dr. Sonal Purohit, MICA, India

Email: vikas.arya@uir.ac.ma

Hospitality, tourism, sports, and entertainment marketing is essential because it empowers individuals with the specialized knowledge necessary to excel in dynamic and expanding industries. To attract and engage diverse audiences, enhance consumer experiences, and remain competitive in the global market, businesses must thoroughly understand marketing strategies tailored to these sectors. Moreover, these industries play an important role in promoting cultural exchange, bolstering local economies, and enhancing people’s lives through unforgettable experiences, making it imperative to examine the distinctive marketing strategies that nurture sustainable growth and success in these dynamic fields.

Potential Topics include but are not limited to the following topics:

• Destination Branding and Tourist Behavior: A Comparative Analysis of Brand Perception and Destination Choice.
• Experiential Marketing in the Entertainment Industry: Understanding the Role of Immersive Experiences in Audience Engagement.
• Entertainment Tourism and Destination Development: Analyzing the Role of Film-Induced Tourism in Destination Marketing.
• Marketing Strategies for Sports Leagues: A Comparative Analysis of Different Sports in Attracting and Engaging Fans.

Within RBS 2024 conference, Hospitality, Tourism, Sports, and Entertainment Marketing track will allow researchers, PhD students, and industry experts to present their innovative research, exchange ideas, and foster collaboration on critical problems in the Hospitality, Tourism, Sports, and Entertainment Marketing domain and their implications for market growth and consumer well-being. We invite contributions with theoretical, empirical, and conceptual papers, which may address, and which are not limited to Hospitality, Tourism, Sports, and Entertainment Marketing.

Track Chairs:

• Dr. Kerim Karmeni, Rabat Business School, UIR, Morocco, kerim.karmeni@uir.ac.ma
• Dr. John Amoah, Takoradi Technical University, Ghana.

Innovation is a key driver of economic growth in African countries (Schmoch and Pouris, 2021; Lundvall et al. 2011). Africa is experiencing a notable shift in its economic and social dynamics. Traditionally associated with challenges such as poverty, disease, corruption and political instability, Africa is now attracting attention for its potential to harness innovation and sustainability. The continent’s youthful population, cultural diversity and the increasing access to technology created a fertile ground for innovation to flourish in Africa countries (Henn and Robinson, 2023; Kaplinsky and Kraemer-Mbula, 2022).

In addition to social, cultural and technological factors, the growing of South-South trade also constitutes another pillar of innovation in Africa. Indeed, the use of lower sophisticated technologies imported from south countries provides more opportunities of adaptation from the local users than technologies imported from developed countries (Kaplinsky and Kraemer-Mbula, 2022; Agyei-Holmes, 2014; Atta-Ankomah, 2014).

The key topics of the track include:

• transformation, innovation, and sustainable development in Africa,
• appropriate policies,
• informal business and innovation opportunities in Africa,
• digital technologies in the service of innovation and growth in Africa,
• the digital future of the National Innovation System,
• South-South trade as a source of innovations opportunities in Africa,
• lessons that Africa can learn from the rest of global south countries.

And any other type of contributions that helps to advance this theme.

References

Agyei-Holmes, A., 2014. Tilling the Soil in Tanzania: What Do Emerging Economy Technologies have to Offer?”. The Open University, Milton Keynes.

Asongu, S. A., & le Roux, S. (2023). The role of mobile money innovations in transforming unemployed women to self-employed women in sub-saharan africa. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 191 doi:10.1016/j.techfore.2023.122548.

Atta-Ankomah, R., 2014. China’s Presence in Developing Countries’ Technology Basket: the Case of Furniture Manufacturing in Kenya. The Open University, Milton Keynes.

Avom, D., Bangaké, C., & Ndoya, H. (2023). Do financial innovations improve financial inclusion? evidence from mobile money adoption in africa. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 190 doi:10.1016/j.techfore.2023.122451

Henn, S. J., & Robinson, J. A. (2023). Africa’s latent assets. Journal of African Economies, 32, I9-I32. doi:10.1093/jae/ejac034

Kaplinsky, R., & Kraemer-Mbula, E. (2022). Innovation and uneven development: The challenge for low- and middle-income economies. Research Policy, 51(2) doi:10.1016/j.respol.2021.104394

Lundvall, B.A., Joseph, K.J., Chaminade, C. & Vang, J. (eds.), 2011, Handbook of innovation systems and developing countries: Building domestic capabilities in a global setting, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham.

Schilling, L., & Seuring, S. (2023). Mobile financial service-enabled micro-businesses driving sustainable value creation in emerging markets. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 192 doi:10.1016/j.techfore.2023.122596

Schmoch, U., & Pouris, A. (2021). International patent applications and innovation in south africa. South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences, 24(1) doi:10.4102/sajems.v24i1.4146

Track Chairs:

• Dr. Dina Barbian, Director, eco2050 Institute for Sustainability, Nuremberg,Germany
• Prof. Miguel Pérez Valls, Ph.D, Department of Business Organization, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, University of Almería, Spain

Responsible Management means enhancing the contribution to society whilst minimizing the negative impacts on people and the environment (European Commission, 2003). This is done in the interaction both with internal and external stakeholders, by treating customers as well as competitors honestly, caring about the health and well-being of employees and customers, while preserving natural ecosystems and socializing in local communities (ibid.). There exists a significant correlation between personal motives and ethics, which are internally formed, and responsible behavior in new/small businesses. This is particularly evident in cases where the modus operandi is shaped by the leadership of a few individuals, namely entrepreneurs or owner-managers (Fuller & Tian, 2006).

In this sense, responsible entrepreneurs, when creating their business, should pursue progressive business practices not only with the aim of generating economic value and financial profit, but also to benefit societies and the environment by tackling social and ecological issues (Tiba et al., 2019:266). As such, responsible entrepreneurship may be defined as the voluntary, discretionary commitment of companies/entrepreneurs that wisely deploy sustainable innovation to achieve “multilevel value-creation goals” (Xie & Wu, 2021:804). Integrating economic, social and environmental concerns fosters various trade-offs both within and outside companies, from the improvement of competitiveness andcreation of jobs, to the enhancement of human and social rights, to the optimization of resource use. A responsible entrepreneurship can also be a key factor to foster the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Topics include, but are not limited to:

• Sustainable entrepreneurship, green entrepreneurship, environmental entrepreneurship, eco-preneurship, and social entrepreneurship
• Monitoring, evaluation, and assessment of responsible performances/practices
• Responsible marketing/product placement
• Sustainable management
• Sustainable energy supply and use
• Efficient resource management and waste management
• Public Value/ Benefits for the common good
• Convergence of business and social causes
• Importance and consequences of responsible entrepreneurship for the future

References

European Commission, 2003. Responsible entrepreneurship: A collection of good practice cases among small and medium-sized enterprises across Europe. European Commission. Accessed May 2023: http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/csr/index.htm

Fuller, T., Tian, Y. 2006. Social and Symbolic Capital and Responsible Entrepreneurship: An Empirical Investigation of SME Narratives. Journal of Business Ethics 67, 287–304. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-006-9185-3

Tiba, S., J. van Rijnsoever, F. & P. Hekkert, M. 2019. Firms with benefits: A systematic review of responsible entrepreneurship and corporate social responsibility literature. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management 26:265-284. Accessed May 2023: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1002/csr.1682

Xie, X. & Wu, Y. April 2021. Doing Well and Doing Good: How Responsible Entrepreneurship Shapes Female Entrepreneurial Success. Journal of Business Ethics 178:803-828. Accessed May 2023: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-021-04799-z

Track Chairs:

• Dr. Jahangir Wasim, Edinburgh Business School
• Dr. Ahmed Tariq, Rabat Business School, Rabat, Morocco

Over the last three decades, the rise of entrepreneurship as an academic discipline has resulted in a rise in entrepreneurship courses and programs in the higher education institution (Katz, 2003; 2008; Nabi et al 2016). This phenomenon is due to the acknowledged importance of entrepreneurship in socio-economic development by many stakeholders, including policymakers, academician, and students (Pittaway and Cope, 2007; Fayolle, Verzat & Wapshott, 2017). Corresponding to this progression in educational programmes, entrepreneurship education research has become a field in its own right (Fayolle and Kyrö, 2008, Neck and Green, 2011).

This track addresses the full scope of entrepreneurship education, including traditional lecture formats as well as group work and autonomous student projects. Furthermore, it invites contributions that discuss the creation of student start-ups and the role that a business school can plan in supporting and guiding these activities.

Potential contributions include, but are not limited to:

• General treatments of entrepreneurship education, using a wide view or a narrow view of the topic
• Investigations of specific forms of entrepreneurship education
  • Teaching “about” entrepreneurship,
  • Teaching “for” entrepreneurship,
  • Teaching “through” entrepreneurship,
• Entrepreneurship education course structures, media, and implementations
• Curriculum design
• Teaching approaches,
  • Passive learning approaches and active learning approaches
  • Experiential learning and learning by doing approaches
• Entrepreneurial pedagogies and learning objectives
  • Business idea development
  • Entrepreneurial béhavioral
• Entrepreneurial compétences
• Entrepreneurship vocational training programs
• Reports about successful courses and support activities for student startups

References

Fayolle, A., & Kryö, P. (Eds.). (2008). The dynamics between entrepreneurship, environment and education. Edward Elgar Publishing.

Fayolle, A., Verzat, C., & Wapshott, R. (2016). In quest of legitimacy: The theoretical and methodological foundations of entrepreneurship education research. International Small Business Journal, 34(7), 895-904.

Katz, J. A. (2003). The chronology and intellectual trajectory of American entrepreneurship education 1876-1999. Journal of Business Venturing, 18(2), 283–300.

Nabi, G., Liñán, F., Fayolle, A., Krueger, N., & Walmsley, A. (2017). The impact of entrepreneurship education in higher education: A systematic review and research agenda. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 16(2), 277-299.

Neck, H. M., & Greene, P. G. (2011). Entrepreneurship education: known worlds and new frontiers. Journal of small business management, 49(1), 55-70.

Pittaway, L., & Cope, J. (2007). Entrepreneurship Education A Systematic Review of the Evidence. International Small Business Journal, 25(5), 479-510.

Track Chairs:  

• Dr. Glenn Parry, EPSRC Centre for Decentralised Digital Economy [DECaDE], Surrey Business School, Guildford, UK
• Dr. Jens-Henrik Söldner, Ansbach University of Applied Sciences, Ansbach, Germany 

In view of the ongoing digital transformation of business and society, numerous scholars talk about a new industrial revolution (Dalenogare et al., 2018; Yin et al., 2018) whose effects go beyond the impact that information technology has had so far (Cimini et al., 2019; Porter and Heppelmann, 2014). Ubiquitous, interconnected digital devices allow for a new form of digital innovation (Yoo et al., 2010), which enables new forms of business models and collaboration in economic ecosystems (Zott & Amit, 2017; Ibarra et al., 2018; Nambisan et al., 2019).

This phenomenon can be considered to be data driven. First and foremost, more data are available to support industrial processes, inform decision making and identify new opportunities for value creation, e.g. for sustainable, circular economies (Gölzer & Fritzsche, 2017; Raut et al., 2019). Second, new forms of data processing and storage can be implemented, enabling cloud computing, distributed ledger technologies, smart services, and other solution designs that play a leading role in the digital transformation (Adams et al., 2017, 2018; Boukhris & Fritzsche, 2019). Third, data themselves become a resource for new business activities as a tradeable good and organizational asset, leading to new designs of ecosystems facilitated by online platforms (Sorescou, 2017; Kenney & Zysman, 2020).

We welcome contributions that discuss aspects of data-driven innovation and ecosystem design on different strategic and operational levels. Case studies from industry concerning the implementation or impact of particular innovations are welcomed, as are broader explorations of the phenomenon, including conceptual works on data-driven value creation and ecosystems.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to

• Business model innovation with big data: opportunities and challenges
• Technical, legal, educational and otherwise societal prerequisites for successful implementations of data-driven businesses and ecosystems
• Data-driven innovation in different industries: single or comparative studies
• Identifying and assessing digital assets
• The worldwide data economy and digital sovereignty of single nations; self-determined actions of individuals and organizations in ecosystems
• Data as a driving force for smart services and artificial intelligence applications
• Data-driven innovation and trust
• Governmental use of data: identity, surveillance, taxation, healthcare etc.
• Cloud business activities
• Data-driven business, short-term and long-term expectations of growth

References

Adams, R., Parry, G., Godsiff, P., & Ward, P. (2017). The future of money and further applications of the blockchain. Strategic Change, 26(5), 417-422.

Adams, R., Kewell, B., & Parry, G. (2018). Blockchain for good? Digital ledger technology and sustainable development goals. Handbook of sustainability and social science research, 127-140.

Boukhris, A., & Fritzsche, A. (2019). What is smart about services? Breaking the bond between the smart product and the service. In Proceedings of the 27th European Conference on Information Systems. ECIS 2019.

Cimini, C., Pezzotta, G., Pinto, R., & Cavalieri, S. (2019). Industry 4.0 Technologies Impacts in the Manufacturing and Supply Chain Landscape: An Overview. In Borangiu, T., Trentesaux, D., Thomas, A., & Cavalieri, S. (Eds.), Studies in Computational Intelligence. Service Orientation in Holonic and Multi-Agent Manufacturing (Vol. 803, pp. 109-120). Cham: Springer International Publishing.

Dalenogare, L. S., Benitez, G. B., Ayala, N. F., & Frank, A. G. (2018). The Expected Contribution of Industry 4.0 Technologies for Industrial Performance. International Journal of Production Economics, 204, 383-394

Gölzer, P., & Fritzsche, A. (2017). Data-driven operations management: organisational implications of the digital transformation in industrial practice. Production Planning & Control, 28(16), 1332-1343.

Ibarra, D., Ganzarain, J., & Igartua, J. I. (2018). Business model innovation through Industry 4.0: A review. Procedia manufacturing, 22, 4-10.

Kenney, M., & Zysman, J. (2020). The platform economy: restructuring the space of capitalist accumulation. Cambridge journal of regions, economy and society, 13(1), 55-76.

Nambisan, S., Wright, M., & Feldman, M. (2019). The digital transformation of innovation and entrepreneurship: Progress, challenges and key themes. Research Policy, 48(8), 103773.

Raut, R. D., Mangla, S. K., Narwane, V. S., Gardas, B. B., Priyadarshinee, P., & Narkhede, B. E. (2019). Linking big data analytics and operational sustainability practices for sustainable business management. Journal of cleaner production, 224, 10-24.

Sorescu, A. (2017). Data‐driven business model innovation. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 34(5), 691-696.

Yin, Y., Stecke, K. E., & Li, D. (2018). The Evolution of Production Systems from Industry 2.0 through Industry 4.0. International Journal of Production Research, 56(1-2), 848–861.

Yoo, Y., Henfridsson, O., & Lyytinen, K. (2010). Research commentary—the new organizing logic of digital innovation: an agenda for information systems research. Information systems research, 21(4), 724-735.

Zott, C., & Amit, R. (2017). Business model innovation: How to create value in a digital world. NIM Marketing Intelligence Review, 9(1), 18-23.

Track Chairs:

• Dr. David W. Versailles, Paris School of Business, Paris, France
• Dr. Valérie Merindol, Paris School of Business, Paris, France
• Dr. Mohammed Tahiri, Université Internationale de Rabat, Rabat, Morocco

During the last years, collaborations across organizational boundaries have gained increasing importance for innovation and entrepreneurship (Chesbrough et al., 2006; Eftekhari and Bogers, 2015). As a consequence, a variety of new settings have emerged that support the engagement of different stakeholders in shared activities. Examples include business incubators, startup accelerators, fab labs, maker spaces, living labs and many others (Bruneel et al., 2012; Leminen et al., 2012; Berman & McMullen, 2022). Offline and online, they involve intermediaries in different forms (De Silva et al., 2018; Merindol et al., 2023), make use of different sets of tools (Möslein & Fritzsche, 2017), and enable new ecosystem dynamics of innovation and business development (Gawer and Cusumano, 2014). What they all seem to have in common is the fact that they create more openness in interactions (Fritzsche et al. 2020; Merindol & Versailles, 2023), similar to patterns known from the field of open science (Hu & Fritzsche, 2020).  

This track looks for contributions that explore this phenomenon empirically or conceptually in its different facets. In particular, we welcome case studies and applied research on the function and benefits of these places in today’s business and society.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Project management in open laboratories: planning, running and controlling innovation and business development activities
• The role of community building and networking for entrepreneurship, innovation etc.
• Business development and acceleration for sustainable growth of local ecosystems
• Field-configuring events in innovation hubs and entrepreneurship centers
• The role of universities as drivers of open collaboration
• Engineering design and the involvement of external stakeholders
• Methods and tools for broader engagement in innovation and entrepreneurship
• Cultural determinants of open lab activities and output
• Challenges and opportunities of entrepreneurship centers and accelerators in developing countries
• Innovations paces and entrepreneurship centers as marketplaces, trading zones and translation spaces in-between different organizational cultures and business interests
• Online and offline support for innovation and entrepreneurship across organizational boundaries
• Open labs and national/ corporate innovation strategies.

References

Bergman, B. J., & McMullen, J. S. (2022). Helping entrepreneurs help themselves: A review and relational research agenda on entrepreneurial support organizations. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 46(3), 688-728.

Bruneel, J., Ratinho, T., Clarysse, B., & Groen, A. (2012). The Evolution of Business Incubators: Comparing demand and supply of business incubation services across different incubator generations. Technovation, 32(2), 110-121.

Chesbrough, H., Vanhaverbeke, W., & West, J. (2006). Open innovation: Researching a new paradigm. London, England: Oxford University Press.

De Silva, M., Howells, J., & Meyer, M. (2018). Innovation intermediaries and collaboration: Knowledge–based practices and internal value creation. Research Policy, 47(1), 70-87.

Eftekhari, N., & Bogers, M. (2015). Open for entrepreneurship: How open innovation can foster new venture creation. Creativity and Innovation Management, 24(4), 574-584.

Fritzsche, A., Jonas, J. M., Roth, A. & Möslein, K. M. (2020). Innovating in the Open Lab. Berlin: DeGruyter.

Gawer, A., & Cusumano, M. A. (2014). Industry platforms and ecosystem innovation. Journal of product innovation management, 31(3), 417-433.

Hu, M., & Fritzsche, A. (2021). Innovation, the public and the third space: understanding the role of boundary objects in open laboratory work. Technology Analysis & Strategic Management, 33(10), 1159-1170.

Leminen, S., Westerlund, M., & Nyström, A. G. (2012). Living Labs as open-innovation networks. Technology Innovation Management Review, 2 (9).

Mérindol, V., & Versailles, D. W. (Eds.). (2022). Open Labs and Innovation Management: The Dynamics of Communities and Ecosystems. Taylor & Francis.

Merindol, V., Le Chaffotec, A., & Versailles, D. W. (2023). The role of organization intermediaries in science-/techno-push versus user-centric approaches in health care innovation. European Journal of Innovation Management, 26(3), 665-687.

Moeslein, K. M., & Fritzsche, A. (2017). The evolution of strategic options, actors, tools and tensions in open innovation. Strategy and communication for innovation: Integrative perspectives on innovation in the digital economy, 61-76.

Track Chairs:

• Prof. Steffen Roth, Excelia Business School, La Rochelle, France, and Kazimieras Simonavičius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
• Prof. Albrecht Fritzsche, Rabat Business School, Rabat, Morocco

Today, more than ever before, it is unambiguously clear for business managers, policy makers, and academics that we are living in an era of disruption. Disruptive technologies drive innovations that change dramatically and drastically how customers perceive and use goods and services (Christensen, 2013; Christensen, Raynor, & McDonald, 2011; 2015; Patrickson, 20/21). They enable new forms of digital innovation that go along with a change of the fabric of organisational structure and increase flexibility in value creation processes (Yoo, Henfridsson & Lyytinen, 2010; Nambisan et al., 2017; Skog Wimelius & Sandberg, 2018). Organizational strategies and designs are also impacted through phenomena such as open innovation (Chesbrough, Vanhaverbeke, & West, 2006), participatory design (Sanders and Stappers, 2008) or crowdsourcing (Djelassi & Decoopman, 2013).

Economic theory relates disruption to creative destruction of entire industries by technological innovation, leading to new dominant designs and prompting often far-reaching social change (Schumpeter, 1942; 1947; Bergek et al., 2013; Schiavi & Behr, 2018). However, further work is necessary to identify the pragmatic roots of disruption and destruction in today’s practices (Fritzsche, 2022) and to advance management theory in new directions (Roth, 2021; 2023).

On this background, we look for strong, compelling theoretical and actionable contributions to enhance our understanding of disruption and destruction in today’s economy. Topics of interest include but are not limited to:

• Acceleration, innovation, and creativity. Technological and social opportunities and challenges,
• Artificial disrupters and automated creativity. AI, machine learning, or IoT as drivers of radical innovation,
• Disruptions and innovations. Blind spots and dark sides,
• Marketing mix issues of sustainable innovation, service innovation, and gendered product development,
• Competition versus plan. Ecosystem evolution or design for organized creativity?
• States as creative destroyers. Historical and contemporary cases,
• Creative destruction and sustainability. Synergies and tensions, or
• Innovation and development. Open spaces and grounds zero.
• Patterns of innovation and destruction in Africa
• Implications of disruptive innovation for the Global South
• De-Growth, innovation, and economic development

References

Bergek, A., Berggren, C., Magnusson, T., & Hobday, M. (2013). Technological discontinuities and the challenge for incumbent firms: Destruction, disruption or creative accumulation? Research Policy, 42(6-7), 1210-1224.

Chesbrough, H., Vanhaverbeke, W., & West, J. (2006). Open innovation: Researching a new paradigm. London, England: Oxford University Press.

Christensen, C. M. (2013). The innovator’s dilemma: when new technologies cause great firms to fail. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press.

Christensen, C. M., Raynor, M. E., & McDonald, R. (2011). Disruptive innovation. Perseus Book LLC (Ingram).

Christensen, C. M., Raynor, M. E., & McDonald, R. (2015). What is disruptive innovation? Harvard Business Review, 93(12), 44-53.

Djelassi, S., & Decoopman, I. (2013). Customers’ participation in product development through crowdsourcing: Issues and implications. Industrial Marketing Management, 42(5), 683-692.

Fritzsche, A. (2022). The pragmatic roots of scientific insight: a culturalist approach to management theory in the view of grand challenges. Scandinavian Journal of Management, 38(4), 101230.

Nambisan, S., Lyytinen, K., Majchrzak, A., & Song, M. (2017). Digital innovation management. MIS quarterly, 41(1), 223-238.

Patrickson, B. (2021). What do blockchain technologies imply for digital creative industries? Creativity and Innovation Management, 30(3), 585-595.

Roth S. (2021), The great reset of management and organization theory. A European perspective, European Management Journal, 39(5), 538-544.

Roth, S. (2023). Reset and restoration. The looming conservative turn of management theory: An extension of Foss et al. Scandinavian Journal of Management, 39(3), 101278.

Sanders, E. B. N., & Stappers, P. J. (2008). Co-creation and the new landscapes of design. Co-design, 4(1), 5-18.

Schiavi, G. S., & Behr, A. (2018). Emerging technologies and new business models: a review on disruptive business models. Innovation & Management Review, 15(4), 338-355.

Schumpeter, J. A. (1942). Capitalism, socialism and democracy. New York : Routledge.

Schumpeter, J. A. (1947). The creative response in economic history. The Journal of Economic History, 7(2), 149-159.

Skog, D. A., Wimelius, H., & Sandberg, J. (2018). Digital Disruption. Business & Information Systems Engineering 53, 1–7.

Yoo, Y., Henfridsson, O., & Lyytinen, K. (2010). Research Commentary: The New Organizing Logic of Digital Innovation: An Agenda for Information Systems Research. Information Systems Research 21(4), 724–735.

Track Chairs:

• Dr. Alex Fergnani, Rabat Business School, Rabat, Morocco
• Prof. David Sarpong, Aston Business School, Birmingham, UK.

The manner in which organizations collectively anticipate, build, evaluate, and are affected by the future(s) should be at the front and center of management and strategy scholars’ agenda. This is increasingly evident by the day, as the interconnectedness’ of the late-modern society we live in makes it possible for trends, emerging issues, and disruptions to be felt globally in very short time spans. Thus, it is now an imperative for executives to be able not only to anticipate possible futures that stem from the various combinations of such trends, emerging issues, and disruptions, but also to develop organizational capabilities to become comfortable, nimble, and even antifragile in the face of frequent change. In the same vein, management and strategy scholars should also be able to use evidence to advise practitioners on how this is to be done at best.

It is in this ethos that management and strategy scholarship on organizational foresight is developing fast, spurred by the pressing necessity to describe, explain, and ultimately prescribe the way organizations (should) engage with the future(s). However, as a recently emerged topic in management and strategy scholarship despite its rich tradition in the field of futures studies, organizational foresight empirical and conceptual contributions in the field of management more broadly are still scarce.

Therefore, this track is meant to promote research on organizational foresight broadly defined, including but not limited to the following topics:

• Novel foresight/ scenario planning methodologies
• Rigorous qualitative studies exploring how foresight processes unfold, including their temporal and sequential dynamics
• Rigorous quantitative studies exploring the outcomes of foresight practices for organizations and for their leaders
• How organizations which practice foresight can contribute to the social welfare of a society as a whole
• How foresight practices differ depending on context, i.e., corporate, non-profit, governmental, etc.
• Conceptual contribution on the art and practice of foresight
• Novel scenarios of particular underrepresented industries or contexts
• How (strategic) foresight can effectively combine with design thinking to bring about positive outcomes in organizations
• How (strategic) foresight can contribute to firm’s strategy, entrepreneurship, and intrapreneurship

Track Chairs:

• Dr. Juliet Ikhide, School of Business, Law & Social Sciences | Abertay University
• Dr. Adedapo Ojo, School of Strategy & Leadership, Faculty of Business & law | Coventry University, UK 
• Dr. Fedwa Jebli, Rabat Business School

The 21st-century workplace has undergone rapid transformation due to unprecedented growth in digital technologies. With the advancement in social and digital technologies, organizational processes and the nature of work have become increasingly modular and decontextualized, heralding the “gig economy” (Corporaal et al., 2019). The gig economy has enabled the reconfiguration of menial and complex tasks into smaller manageable chunks that could be distributed among the external workforces (Lehdonvirta et al., 2019; Connelly et al., 2021). Coupled with this transformation, Human resource management (HRM) has evolved as an academic field and a profession on par with unexpected occurrences, including the global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and planned changes like the push for sustainable and decent work in line with the sustainable development goal-SGD 8 (Aust et al., 2020; Kreinin & Aigner, 2021). Gartner’s recent survey of 800 human resource leaders across 60 countries revealed the need to prioritize leaders’ and managers’ effectiveness, employee experience, and future work initiatives (Gartner, 2023). Consistently, extant research has focused on HRM, employee well-being, and performance (or the lack thereof) among HRM actors (Van De Voorde et al., 2012) and, recently, the wider society and future generations (Aust et al., 2020), research shows certain factors that are currently influencing HRM/work practices and activities. In their comprehensive review of the literature, Hamouche (2021) and Piwowar-Sulej et al. (2022) identified interrelated trends such as technological transformation e.g., artificial intelligence; demographics e.g., aging, younger workforce; flexible work arrangement and employment including remote work, 4-day work, freelancing, and gig economy; sustainable and green work practices.

This confluence of HR trends means that the field is experiencing change and disruption at an unprecedented scale. This conference track is aimed at exploring these contemporary HRM issues and welcomes submissions that are theoretical, conceptual, empirical, or case-based, and especially those that explore these trends from less researched viewpoints such as counter perspectives or dark sides, and the global south.

Potential topics can resolve around;

• HRM and Technology; Digitalization & HR analytics, AI & HRM practices in the Gig Economy, Human Resource Information System -HRIS
• Leadership and HRM in the new age: HR’s role in digital transformation, Darkside of leadership and short-termism outcomes, Algorithmic management
• Demographics at work; Ageism
• Flexible work arrangement and employment; remote work, 4-day work, freelancing, gig economy

References

Aust, I., Matthews, B., & Muller-Camen, M. (2020). Common Good HRM: A paradigm shift in Sustainable HRM? Human Resource Management Review, 30(3), 100705. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2019.100705.

Connelly, C.E., Fieseler, C., Cerne, M., Giessner, S.R., & Wong, S.I. (2021). Working in the digitized economy: HRM theory & practice, Human Resource Management Review, 31, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2020.100762

Corporaal, G. F., Sessions, H., Jarvenpaa, S., Levina, N., Ashford, S. J., Caza, B. B., … Zalmanson, L. (2019). Changing models of work in the digital platform economy. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2019(1) Retrieved from https://journals.aom.org/doi/abs/10.5465/AMBPP.2019.12309symposium.

Gartner (2023) Gartner for HR: Top 5 Priorities for HR Leaders in 2023, Retrieved from https://emtemp.gcom.cloud/ngw/globalassets/en/human-resources/documents/trends/hr-top-priorities-2023-ebook.pdf

Hamouche, S. (2021). Human Resource Management and the COVID-19 Crisis: implications, challenges, opportunities, and Future Organizational Directions. Journal of Management & Organization, 1(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1017/jmo.2021.15

Lehdonvirta, V., Kässi, O., Hjorth, I., Barnard, H., & Graham, M. (2019). The global platform economy: A new offshoring institution enabling emerging-economy microproviders. Journal of Management, 45(2), 567–599.

Kreinin, H., & Aigner, E. (2021). From “Decent work and economic growth” to “Sustainable work and economic degrowth”: a new framework for SDG 8. Empirica, 49. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10663-021-09526-5

Piwowar-Sulej, K., Wawak, S., Tyrańska, M., Zakrzewska, M., Jarosz, S., & Sołtysik, M. (2022). Research trends in human resource management. A text-mining-based literature review. International Journal of Manpower. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijm-03-2021-0183

Van De Voorde, K., Paauwe, J., & Van Veldhoven, M. (2012). Employee Well-being and the HRM-Organizational Performance Relationship: A Review of Quantitative Studies. International Journal of Management Reviews, 14(4), 391–407. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2370.2011.00322.x

Track Chairs:

• Prof. Diane-Gabrielle Tremblay, Téluq University, Canada
• Dr. Fedwa Jebli, Rabat Business School
• Dr. Jamal El Baz, University of Ibno Zohr, Morocco

This track aims to foster a debate on how to promote inclusive workplaces, and how to alleviate exclusion within organizational setting (Bernstein et al., 2020). Accordingly, we seek to provide a space for discussion on how to maintain diversity/inclusion/exclusion issues as priority topics, whether in firms’ practices (Dobusch, 2021) or in academic research.

The world is becoming more complex, unpredictable, and “normally” changing with technological, social, political, environmental, or economic constant transformations (Hitt et al., 2021). Thus, it is crucial to analyze the effects of this increased complexity on diversity and to re-analyze the mechanisms of inclusion and exclusion in organizations.

Conceptual, qualitative, and quantitative papers are welcomed.

Potential topics can be but not limited to:

• How inclusion and exclusion occur?
• Insights from Global-South & Global-North perspectives on diversity/inclusion/exlusion
• With the increased digitalization of the world of work, how can HRM strategies and practices help in understanding diversity & inclusion issues in the digitalized workplace?
• The effect of certain practices on the career development, reduction of work-family conflict, recruitment, remuneration, etc. of women, people from diverse backgrounds, people with disabilities…
• Diversity/Exclusion/inclusion and intersectionality
• How can companies alleviate exclusion and promote an inclusive diversity?
• How to better understand the effect of the institutional environment on diversity, exclusion & inclusion?

References

Bernstein, R. S., Bulger, M., Salipante, P., & Weisinger, J. Y. (2020). From diversity to inclusion to equity: A theory of generative interactions. Journal of Business Ethics, 167, 395-410.

Dobusch, L. (2021). The inclusivity of inclusion approaches: A relational perspective on inclusion and exclusion in organizations. Gender, Work & Organization, 28(1), 379-396.

Hitt, M. A., Arregle, J. L., & Holmes Jr, R. M. (2021). Strategic management theory in a post‐pandemic and non‐ergodic world. Journal of Management Studies, 58(1), 259.

Track Chairs:

• Dr. Diórgenes Falcão Mamédio, Rabat Business School, Morocco, diorgenes.mamedio@uir.ac.ma
• Dr. Arménio Rego, Católica Porto Business School, Portugal, arego@ucp.pt

The “Global South” (comprising Africa, Latin America, and most countries in Asia, which represents two-thirds of the global population) is the part of the world that has not yet achieved the same levels of wealth, life expectancy, economic development, education, and political stability that many countries in the Global North (i.e., North America and Europe, as well as Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand) have accomplished (Mimiko, 2012; Miraftab & Kudva, 2014; United Nations, 2018). What characterizes the Global South is “a shared heritage of recent colonial histories in the global peripheries” (Miraftab & Kudva, 2014, p. 4).

Economic and social development is significantly associated with the quality of human capital, its availability and how human resources are managed (Bloom et al., 2012, 2014), and the Global South positions modestly in this regard (INSEAD, 2022; World Bank, 2021). Therefore, efforts must be carried out, by both scholars and practitioners, to make HRM theories, practices, and policies more consistent with the Global South economic, social, and cultural idiosyncrasies. HRM literature is significantly “Western-biased”, and most popular and cited studies have been carried out in the context of Global North (Adisa et al., 2022). However, context matters, and Southern voices must be more heard (Adisa et al., 2022; Jayawardena, 2021). As Adisa et al. (2022) stated, “If we are to improve our understanding of global HRM, particularly HRM in the Global South, we need country-specific studies that take local factors and institutions into account (…)”. These authors also argued that “developing countries have unique national, economic and cultural context and traditional institutions, which are often in conflict with the western-developed approaches/frameworks/theories, and traditional ways of doing things”

With this background in mind, this track invites contributions aimed at making sense of how (postcolonial) Southern organizations have (or haven’t) accepted, adopted, or adapted the Western HRM paradigm, and how the route they have chosen has (or hasn’t) contributed for the Southern organizational and economic development. The track aims to discuss relevant research into the dynamics of HRM in the Global South. Conceptual, qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methodology approaches will be well received.

The topics to be covered, but not limited to, are: (a) the role of HR management and managers in postcolonial Southern organizations; (b) HRM trends and challenges in the Global South economies; (c) HRM policies and practices being adopted/adapted in the Global South context, and their impact on organizational functioning and performance; (d) new and/or adapted paradigms of HRM in the Global South; (e) difficulties, challenges and opportunities experienced by multinational companies operating in the Global South; (f) what can the HRM discipline learn from the Global South; (g) the extent to which the presence of HRM in the Global South is (or is not) characterized not only by hybridity but also by ambivalence (Jayawardena, 2021)

References

Adisa, T.A., Mordi, C. & Gbadamosi, G. (2022). Introduction: Context matters in human resource management. In T.A. Adisa & C. Mordi (Eds.), The dynamics of human resource management in the global south: A critical perspective (pp. 3-14). Palgrave Macmillan.

Bloom, N., Genakos, C., Sadun, R., & Van Reenen, J. M. (2012). Management practices across firms and countries. Academy of Management Perspectives, February, 12-33.

Bloom, N., Lemos, R., Sadun, R., Scur, D., & Van Reenen, J. (2014). JEEA-FBBVA lecture 2013: The new empirical economics of management. Journal of the European Economic Association, 12(4), 835-876.

INSEAD (2022). The global talent competitiveness index 2022: The tectonics of talent: Is the world drifting rowards increased talent inequalities?  Fontainebleau, France.

Jayawardena, D. (2021). Critical human resource management: People management across the Global South and North. Routledge.

Mimiko, N. O. (2012). Globalization: The politics of global economic relations and international business. Carolina Academic Press.

Miraftab, F., & Kudva, N. (2014). Cities of the global South reader. Routledge.

United Nations (2018). World economic situation and prospects 2014. New York: United Nations.

World Bank (2021). The human capital index 2020 update: Human capital in the time of COVID-19. Washington, DC: World Bank.

Track Chairs:

• Dr. Amine BELHADI, Rabat Business School
• Mohammad Zoynul Abedin, Swansea University, UK
• Fedwa Jebli, Rabat Business School

This research track proposal focuses on exploring the challenges and opportunities faced by organizations in managing their human resources in the context of hybrid working. Hybrid working, characterized by a combination of remote and on-site work arrangements, has become increasingly prevalent in response to the global shift towards flexible work practices. This track aims to investigate the implications of hybrid working on various HRM dimensions, including employee engagement, performance management, talent acquisition and retention, leadership, and organizational culture. By examining these aspects, this research track aims to provide insights and recommendations for effective HRM practices in the era of hybrid working.

Research Questions:

a) How does hybrid working impact employee engagement and motivation?

b) What are the key challenges in managing performance and providing feedback in a hybrid working environment?

c) How can organizations effectively attract, select, and retain talent in the context of hybrid working?

d) What leadership styles and competencies are essential for managing remote and on-site teams in a hybrid working setup?

e) How does hybrid working influence organizational culture and employee well-being?

Methodology:

This research track encourages diverse methodological approaches to address the research questions. Quantitative methods, such as surveys and experiments, can be employed to examine the relationships between hybrid working and HRM outcomes. Qualitative methods, such as interviews and case studies, can provide in-depth insights into the experiences and perspectives of employees, managers, and HR professionals. Mixed-method approaches can also be utilized to gain a comprehensive understanding of the complex dynamics involved in managing human resources in a hybrid working environment.

Contribution and Impact:

This research track has the potential to contribute to both theoretical and practical aspects of HRM. The findings can enrich the existing literature by enhancing our understanding of the implications of hybrid working on various HRM dimensions. Moreover, this research track can offer practical implications and recommendations for organizations to effectively manage their human resources in the context of hybrid working. The insights gained from this track can assist HR professionals and organizational leaders in developing strategies and policies that support employee well-being, productivity, and organizational performance.

Track Chair:

• Dr. Laila Frija, Rabat Business School, UIR

The track focuses on leadership practices and strategies in volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) business environment that are characterized by economic and political instability, global fierce competition, and changing technologies. Considering this context, this research track also investigates challenges facing leaders and explores approaches and strategies for effective leadership.      

Track Chair:

• Dr. Moustafa Abdelmoutaleb, Rabat Business School, UIR

In today’s dynamic and rapidly changing world, organizations are increasingly recognizing the importance of integrating sustainability principles into their human resource management practices. Throughout this conference, we will delve into a diverse range of topics, exploring innovative strategies, best practices, and the latest research findings that foster a harmonious relationship between HRM and sustainability.

Topics that will be covered in this track include, but are not limited to:

• Green HRM,
• Sustainable HRM,
• Sustainable & digital HRM,
• Socially responsible HRM,
• HRM & environmental issues,
• Safety & occupational health,
• Labor & individual rights

Track Chairs:

• Dr. Lamiae Benhayoun (UIR Rabat Business School)
• Dr. Tarik Zouadi (UIR Rabat Business School)

Today’s businesses, governments, non-profit and other types of organizations are undergoing rapid Digital Transformation (DT), resulting in major changes of their organizational structures, operating processes, value chains, and/or business models. It is becoming clear that opportunities driven by DT can lead to rapid change, both within and beyond organizational boundaries, for example in the form of new value networks and business ‘eco-systems.’ The scope of DT also differs ranging from a single organisational unit or a process, to many processes, to overall business model, all the way to interorganizational, industry and societal transformations. Moreover, DT of the wider society is resulting in new opportunities for societal value creation as well as new ethical and social justice challenges. Societal DT opens deeper questions about our collective technology-intensive future and sustainability, including various kinds of responsibilities for the streamlined use of digital technologies.

This track welcomes research that uses analytical, empirical, and experimental modeling approaches to explore the increasing complex interplays between digital technology and business operations, strategies. In particular, we seek novel studies that systematically investigate the complex roles that digitization, information technology, and business analytics play in consumer behavior, customer relationship management, organizational architectures, product design and development, healthcare, education, marketing, sales and services, and supply chain management to provide business insights and implications. We are also soliciting comprehensive reviews of relevant research, rigorous case studies, and applications highlighting the use of business analytics, new technologies, methods, and techniques in various business operations. There is a growing body of research within the economics, marketing, operations management, information systems, and healthcare communities which are starting to address those issues.

Track Chairs:

• Prof. Mourad Oubrich, Full Professor, INPT Rabat
• Prof. Abdelati Hakmaoui, Full Professor, Université Hassan II de Casablanca

One of the most significant challenges faced by emerging markets is the digital divide. Access to technology and the internet is limited in many developing countries, particularly in rural areas. This makes it difficult for businesses and individuals to participate in the global economy, access educational resources, and connect with others. IS can help bridge this divide by providing tools and technologies that enable access to information, communication, and collaboration.

Another challenge faced by emerging markets is the lack of infrastructure and resources. Many developing countries struggle with inadequate transportation systems, unreliable power supplies, and limited access to education and training. IS can help address these challenges by providing tools and resources that enable remote work, e-learning, and remote healthcare.

This track will address these challenges. Information Systems (IS) need to take a context-specific approach to designing and implementing IS systems in emerging markets. IS should take into account the local context, including cultural and linguistic factors, and should involve collaboration with local stakeholders to ensure that the IS system meets the needs of the community.

Track Chair:

• Dr. Ahmed Hamdi, UIR Rabat Business School

The Covid-19 health crisis, growing global warming, and persistent inequalities due to political conflicts are calling into question the socioeconomic foundations of our society. How individuals and businesses respond to these challenges will profoundly define our future. Many organizations are undertaking sustainability strategies to help meet these challenges. Sustainability refers to a configuration of human society that ensures its durability. It is based on social equity and the maintenance of a liveable environment that allows economic and social development on a planetary scale. More particularly, Information Technologies (IT) play a significant role with respect to our collective sustainable future. On one side, they contribute 4% to greenhouse gas emissions and consume 10% of the electricity in the world. The extraction of minerals for the manufacture of computer components promotes the depletion of non-renewable resources and the dispersion of toxic products. Pollution is increasing with the increasing use of IT and the processing of end-of-life electronic waste. On the other side, smartly operated IT can help emancipate from sustainability challenges. This is the case of the telecommunications and logistics industries, which have implemented practices and regulatory frameworks to manage the IT carbon footprint.

The unusual circumstances created by COVID-19’s rapid spread and the current geopolitical conflicts provide a unique opportunity to study the role of Information Systems and Digital Technology in supporting people through global crises. This track focuses on the relationships between digitalization, and the crises’ consequences on jobs and work (for both employers and employees), education and educational institutions (including learners and educators), family and home life (including life-changes for adults and children), and global society. In this track, we welcome submissions of full research papers or research in progress, including theory articles, literature reviews, teaching cases, or studies employing qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods, and design science research methods.

Track Chair:

• Dr. Asmae El Mokrini, UIR Rabat Business School

The Digital Government Policies and Strategies track aims to provide a platform for researchers and practitioners from diverse fields to discuss and contribute to new theoretical approaches and models with a potential to frame policies and strategies for digital government.

The track invites papers that cover different areas and topics related to digital government, including theory development, best practices and strategies for design, implementation, and management of digital government, cases of digital government platforms design and governance, digital transformation in policymaking, IT-driven co-creation and co-production of digital government processes, privacy and data protection policies and strategies in the public sector, e-participation and e-democracy policies and strategies, legal and judicial transformations associated with IT deployments, lessons for digital policy from the pandemic of 2019-2023, and public policy, social, and ethical issues in digital government.

Track Chair:

• Dr. Lamiae Benhayoun (UIR Rabat Business School)

The Advances in Teaching and Learning Technologies track encourages research contributions that deal with learning theories, teaching tools and their development, supporting infrastructures, user experiences and feedback, learning analytics, and measurable outcomes that contribute to teaching and learning improvement. The current increasing demand for hybrid learning, online learning models, and learning in extended realities (VR/AR/MR) have challenged the design, development, and implementation of effective teaching and learning technologies. Furthermore, the recent progress in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other advanced technologies has shown the potential to disruptively transform learning and teaching in several ways such as providing personalized and adaptive learning experiences, automating certain tasks, and enabling new forms of instruction and assessment.

For instance, the release of the ChatGPT language model, a highly advanced generative AI technology, has raised concerns about academic integrity, reduced critical thinking skills, the possibility of replacing human teachers, and its other potential impacts on teaching and learning. By combining the capabilities of AI and human intelligence, hybrid intelligence has the potential to overcome some of the threats associated with the use of AI. Nevertheless, this approach requires research and development of new pedagogy and methodologies to guarantee the best use of such systems.

We seek to bridge disciplines and research communities between system sciences, AI, computer, and learning sciences. A broad range of research questions, learning settings, and theoretical and methodological traditions will be considered. We are flexible about what constitutes ‘learning’ (e.g., acquisition or co-creation of knowledge or skills, community learning, collective change) and about the nature of the setting (e.g., face-to-face, or online; formal or informal; educational, workplace or leisure). Papers make a theoretical and/ or empirical contribution by investigating such learning settings that mobilize diverse technological media and artificial intelligence.