Can ICT Enhance Workplace Inclusion? : ICT-Enabled Workplace Inclusion Practices and A New Agenda for Inclusion Research in Information Systems

Tarafdar, Monideepa and Rets, Irena and Hu, Yang (2023) Can ICT Enhance Workplace Inclusion? : ICT-Enabled Workplace Inclusion Practices and A New Agenda for Inclusion Research in Information Systems. Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 32 (2): 101773. ISSN 0963-8687

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Abstract

Workplace inclusion is a strategic concern for organizations, yet challenging to achieve. We investigate how Information and Communications Technology (ICT) use can enhance workplace inclusion. Based on qualitative data collected from a leading UK organization, we conceptualize four ICT-enabled workplace inclusion practices – Expanding, Orienting, Enculturating, and Reflecting. Each practice entails the use of multiple ICT applications to enhance workplace inclusion through a distinct set of organizational activities. We also highlight the Reflecting practice as key in enhancing other practices. Drawing from our findings, we develop a framework for ICT-enabled workplace inclusion that constitutes inter- related ICT-enabled practices focused on multiple organizational activities. We contribute to the literature on the strategic role of ICT for organizational/social good, a current area of research priority for the information systems discipline.