Crossing Methodological Borders: Mixed-/Multi-Methods in Contemporary Industrial and Information Systems Management

Crossing Methodological Borders: Mixed-/Multi-Methods in Contemporary Industrial and Information Systems Management

Call for Papers | Special Issue

JOURNAL: Industrial Management & Data Systems

PUBLISHER: Emerald Publishing

SUBMISSION OPENS: 02 April 2026

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 30 September 2026

ABOUT THIS SPECIAL ISSUE

As digital technologies increasingly transform industrial operations, integrating industrial management with information systems research has become essential. Key domains such as supply chain resilience, digital innovation, and data-driven decision-making require methodological approaches that can address both technical complexity and organizational dynamics.

Many existing studies still rely predominantly on either primary or secondary data, with relatively few exploring the benefits of strategically combining the two. Integrating primary data (e.g., surveys, interviews, experiments) with secondary data (e.g., ERP logs, platform analytics, archival datasets) enables deeper theory development by revealing both behavioral patterns and underlying mechanisms.

Mixed-methods purposefully integrate qualitative and quantitative data to provide both explanatory breadth and contextual depth — enabling researchers to explore "how" and "why" phenomena unfold. Multi-methods, which combine multiple techniques within the same paradigm, can improve robustness, triangulation, and construct validity. Both approaches are particularly valuable for studying evolving topics such as AI deployment, digital trust, platform governance, and organizational resilience.

This special issue aims to encourage submissions that embrace methodological pluralism, combining primary and secondary data to produce practically relevant, empirically grounded, and theoretically robust contributions.

SCOPE & THEME AREAS

We invite submissions applying or advancing mixed-/multi-method approaches to address complex issues in Information Systems and related management domains. Topics include (but are not limited to):

1. Mixed-/Multi-Method Designs in Digital Transformation and Process Innovation — Exploring methodological integration, trade-offs, and complementarities in examining technology-enabled changes in workflows, decision-making, and organizational processes.

2. Integrated Analytical Approaches to Supply Chain Innovation and Resilience — Applying mixed-/multi-method strategies to investigate logistics transformation, disruption management, and sustainable operations in volatile environments.

3. Human-AI Collaboration and Decision-Making Coevolution — Combining qualitative and quantitative methods to understand trust, cognition, and co-production dynamics in evolving human-AI systems.

4. Social Media, Digital Marketing, and E-Commerce Ecosystem — Utilizing mixed-/multi-method approaches to study online engagement, influencer strategies, consumer behavior, and brand reputation in digital platforms.

5. Sustainability and Green IS through Methodological Pluralism — Investigating environmental performance, circular economy practices, and sustainable innovation through integrated technical, organizational, and social lenses.

6. Contextualized Adoption of Generative AI Technologies — Examining sector-specific adoption patterns, drivers, challenges, and impacts of generative AI using comprehensive, multi-perspective research designs.

7. Ethical, Educational, and Security Dimensions of AI — Addressing privacy, trust, risk, and AI literacy through mixed-/multi-method inquiries into responsible and secure use of AI in organizational and societal contexts.

GUEST EDITORS

Ling-Yen Pan ✉️ Contact via journal submission system

Wen-Lung Shiau ✉️ Contact via journal submission system

Christian M. Ringle ✉️ Contact via journal submission system

Jun Hwa (Jacky) Cheah ✉️ Contact via journal submission system

Yide (Vincent) Liu ✉️ Contact via journal submission system

KEY DEADLINES & DATES

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

How to submit: Manuscripts must be submitted via ScholarOne Manuscripts.

Author guidelines: Must be strictly followed. Full guidelines available on the journal's official page.

Selecting the special issue: At the appropriate submission step, authors must select the special issue title from the drop-down menu in response to "Please select the issue you are submitting to."

Eligibility: Submitted articles must not have been previously published, nor should they be under consideration for publication elsewhere while under review.

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