CFP HICSS-59: The Metaverse for Work and Play Minitrack

[Dincelli, Ersin]

CALL FOR PAPERS:
Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS-59)
Hyatt Regency Maui, Hawaii | January 6-9, 2026
http://www.hicss.org/
Track Title: Internet and the Digital Economy Track
Minitrack Title: The Metaverse for Work and Play
Fast-track submission opportunity (at the discretion of minitrack chairs) in the Journal of Intellectual Capital: https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/journal/jic
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== Minitrack Description: ==
While many opportunities exist for the Metaverse, it also has diverse challenges that may prevent successful adoption, such as surveillance, user tracking, deviant behavior (e.g., bullying and stalking) (Lowry et al., 2017), design issues, unintended consequences such as addiction, technostress, anxiety, and cognitive overload (Suh & Prophet, 2018), and the new security and privacy threats (Vondrek et al., 2022). Our experiences from e-commerce, social media, and the Internet during the past decades necessitate a proactive approach to governance, regulations, design principles, data collection, physical-virtual world connection, and similar issues during the inception of the Metaverse (Dincelli & Yayla, 2022). Consequently, this mini track explores the transformative potential of the Metaverse, emphasizing opportunities for innovation, immersive experiences, and emerging business models. At the same time, it addresses critical challenges, including risks, unintended consequences, and the need for effective governance and regulatory frameworks. By addressing both opportunities and challenges, this mini track aims to offer valuable insights into the impact of the Metaverse on users and organizations, as well as the policies and regulations necessary to ensure its responsible and ethical development.
The minitrack welcomes both theoretical and empirical studies employing diverse methodological approaches. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

*Challenges and Risks in the Metaverse:*
- Cybersecurity and privacy threats
- New attack vectors and surfaces (e.g., adversarial AI, biometric data breaches)
- The Darkverse - illegal and criminal activities in the Metaverse (e.g., illicit markets, cybercrimes, money laundering)
- Anti-forensics techniques used by hackers to evade detection in the Metaverse
- Deception and deep fakes (e.g., AI-generated misinformation and identity fraud)
- Deviant behavior (e.g., harassment, bullying, stalking, organized trolling, radicalization)
- Ethical concerns and implications for freedom of expression in the Metaverse (e.g., user surveillance, tracking, and censorship)
- Adverse physical, mental, and emotional effects (e.g., addiction, technostress, cyberpsychoses, misuse)
- Unintended consequences of AI-driven moderation and personalization (e.g., algorithmic biases and digital discrimination)
- Weaponization of virtual spaces (e.g., the use of the Metaverse for social engineering, radicalization, and digital warfare)
- Psychological manipulation (e.g., exploitative game mechanics, behavioral reinforcement, and persuasive design for engagement, surveillance, or deception

*Opportunities and Innovations in the Metaverse:*
- Novel and sustainable business models (e.g., meta-tourism, Metaverse in eCommerce)
- User-centric monetization strategies (e.g., play-to-earn, digital economies, tokenization)
- Cost reduction, operational efficiency, and improved firm performance through Metaverse adoption
- Corporate training, distributed learning, and virtual collaboration for improved team performance
- Knowledge creation, retention, and dissemination in immersive environments
- Metaverse applications (meta-apps) for healthcare (e.g., telemedicine, virtual therapy, rehabilitation)
- Mental and physical health benefits (e.g., meta-fitness, stress reduction, gamified wellness programs)
- Opportunities for vulnerable populations (e.g., improving accessibility for elderly individuals and people with disabilities)
- Positive behavioral reinforcement through gamification (e.g., reward systems for healthy habits, eco-conscious behavior, and social good initiatives in virtual environments)

*Governance and Regulation of the Metaverse:*
- Intellectual property, copyright, and ownership
- Data privacy, transparency, anonymity, and virtual identities
- New standards, regulations, compliance, and governance mechanisms for the Metaverse
- Hardware (e.g., haptics, trackers) and software (e.g., digital twins, asset management) ecosystems
- Integration with enabling technologies (e.g., Blockchain, AI, NFT, XR, VR, AR, MR, IoT, wearables)
- Digital divide, accessibility, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)
- Digital personas, avatars, and virtual assets
- Safeguarding and well-being of vulnerable populations (e.g., children, neurodivergent individuals, marginalized communities)
- Fairness in virtual environments
- Ethical AI and algorithmic accountability
- Metaverse governance frameworks and decentralized decision-making
- Public vs. private governance models
- Game-theoretic approaches to Metaverse policy and governance

The minitrack aims to provide IS scholars with a venue to share their research that rigorously addresses the abovementioned points. We hope to attract scholars from a range of disciplines and high-quality papers to form two sessions. Selected papers are going to have a fast-track submission opportunity at the: https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/journal/jic

== Important Dates: ==
- April 15, 2025: Manuscript submission system reopened for HICSS-59
- June 15, 2025, 11:59 pm (HST): Manuscript submission deadline
- August 17, 2025, 11:59 pm (HST): Notification of acceptance/rejection
- September 22, 2025, 11:59 pm (HST): Submission of final manuscript for proceeding publication
- October 1, 2025, 11:59 pm (HST): Registration deadline (at least one author must register)
- January 6-9, 2026: HICSS-59 conference dates

Please see the HICSS website for more information: https://hicss.hawaii.edu/
Submit full manuscripts for review: http://hicss.hawaii.edu/tracks-and-minitracks/authors/

== Minitrack Co-chairs: ==
- Ersin Dincelli (primary contact), University of Colorado Denver, ersin.dincelli at ucdenver.edu
- Merrill Warkentin, Mississippi State University, m.warkentin at msstate.edu
- Ayoung Suh, Sungkyunkwan University, aysuh at skku.edu
- Paul Benjamin Lowry, Virginia Tech, pblowry at vt.edu

== References: ==
- Dincelli, E., & Yayla, A. (2022). Immersive virtual reality in the age of the Metaverse: A hybrid-narrative review based on the technology affordance perspective. Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 31(2), 101717.
- Lowry, P. B., Moody, G. D., & Chatterjee, S. (2017). Using IT design to prevent cyberbullying. Journal of Management Information Systems, 34(3), 863-901.
- Suh, A., & Prophet, J. (2018). The state of immersive technology research: A literature analysis. Computers in Human Behavior, 86, 77-90.
- Vondrek, M., Baggili, I., Casey, P., & Mekni, M. (2022). Rise of the Metaverse's immersive virtual reality malware and the man-in-the-room attack & defenses. Computers & Security, 102923.


--
Ersin Dincelli
Associate Professor of Information Systems
Business School, University of Colorado Denver
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