A Feminist Ethics of Power Perspective on Gender Inequalities in Information Systems Development

With the rise of socio-political movements seeking to improve women\u27s circumstances in society, research on gender has been continuously growing in Information Systems (IS) research. Despite this growth, critical-ethical perspectives on gender power dynamics are lacking. Therefore, we critically investigate the perceptions of male and female IS developers on gender inequalities using feminist ethics of power. We find that interviewees coincide in the belief that inequalities are improving and that gender is not a limiting factor of competencies. However, men and women deviate regarding perceptions of respect and validation, equality, and the drivers that (re-)produce disparities. Additionally, women exhibit fragmented conceptualizations of inclusion. Through a critical analysis of these findings, we expose ethical dilemmas that arise from these contradictory perceptions of gender inequalities and propose pathways for transforming the prevailing order. Our study contributes by advancing a broader perspective on inequalities through the lens of feminist ethics of power

Examining the Use of Blockchain Technology in Virtual Worlds: A Socio-Technical Systems Perspective

Recent developments, including the rebranding of Facebook to Meta, have led to large-scale media attention on the phenomenon of the Metaverse. Although not being a new phenomenon in Information Systems (IS) research, many intricacies in virtual worlds remain unexplored. In particular , prior research has directed attention to users‘ lack of ownership rights, creating tension between the creator and user. To solve this tension, we argue that blockchain technology can potentially help to structure ownership rights. Therefore, our research explores a blockchain-based Metaverse through the socio-technical system lens. Our study highlights that, in the underlying case, the use of blockchain technology goes beyond the application of Non- Fungible Tokens (NFTs) and can also be found in the general organizational structure, blurring the boundaries of existing stakeholders. Our work contributes to research by providing a gaze into blockchain-based Metaverses and highlighting the potential application and benefit of the technology in virtual worlds

Exploring Consumers Risk Mitigation Strategies in E-Commerce: A Qualitative Study of High-Risk Transactions

The recent Covid-19 pandemic has led to a sharp increase in online shopping. While the promises of shopping on e-commerce platforms are vast, there are simultaneously novel and exacerbated risks compared to traditional brick-and-mortar retail purchases. Existing research outlines numerous risk dimensions associated with online shopping. In addition, scholars examine the underlying reasons for consumers' risk perceptions, such as the inability of physical quality checks. However, there is a lack of research investigating how consumers attempt to navigate and mitigate risk perceptions when confronted with a high-risk online transaction. To address this research gap, we conducted 18 semi-structured interviews with consumers who had recently performed an online transaction associated with high-risk perceptions. Our study contributes to the existing literature by identifying an affective and cognitive risk mitigation strategy and respective underlying mechanisms. Notably, we find that online social networks play a central role in shaping consumers' risk perceptions

Towards Ethical Design Science Research

With the incredible advancements in technology, there is a high chance that design science research (DSR) will gain momentum in the realm of IS research. However, since these technologies have become also increasingly more disruptive, there is a need to mitigate and prevent some of the adverse effects in DSR. Here, ethical discourses, as well as ethical design principles, could be beneficial. Unfortunately, IS research and especially DSR have hitherto taken a superficial perspective on ethics and there exists no schema nor framework that explains how academics can address ethical issues. It is against this backdrop that we develop a conceptual map and framework on how to engage systematically and coherently in ethical discourses and derive ethical design principles. Furthermore, we propose a novel type of design principles: negative design principles. These principles encapsulate additional ways to express normative, e.g., ethical statements and additional means towards responsible and accountable DSR