Immersive Digital Commerce and Socio-Technical Futures: Beyond Traditional AI and Metaverse Paradigms
A special issue of Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research (ISSN 0718-1876).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 141
Special Issue Editors
Interests: artificial intelligence applications in digital commerce; human–computer interaction (HCI) and immersive user experiences; virtual influencers and AI-driven personalization; sustainable metaverse innovation and governance; AI ethics and socio-technical design in immersive platforms; gamification in virtual retail and public services; AI-powered decision making and intelligent agents; technology adoption models (UTAUT, TAM, TOE) in emerging tech contexts
Interests: knowledge management; strategic management; organizational behavior; leadership; business information systems; information and communications technologies; blockchain; Internet of Things; metaverse; cloud computing; e-learning; eGovernment
Interests: business intelligence and visualization; deep learning; AI applications; applied AI and applications; strategy and application of AI in organizations
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
As digital ecosystems evolve rapidly, immersive commerce is emerging as a transformative force reshaping the socio-technical fabric of e-commerce. From AI-driven anchors and virtual influencers to decentralized metaverse platforms, these technologies redefine how consumers, businesses, and institutions co-create value in virtual environments.
Unlike existing Special Issues that focus broadly on AI, the metaverse, or immersive technologies, this Special Issue uniquely centers on the socio-technical dynamics of immersive digital commerce—examining how human, technological, and organizational systems co-evolve to create sustainable, intelligent marketplaces. By integrating theoretical lenses such as Socio-Technical Systems Theory (STS), Actor–Network Theory (ANT), and the Technology–Organization–Environment (TOE) framework, this Issue seeks to advance understanding of how immersive technologies are adopted, governed, and experienced across sectors.
We particularly invite interdisciplinary research that investigates the convergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Human–Computer Interaction (HCI), FinTech, gamification, and green innovation within immersive ecosystems. The expected contribution is twofold:
Theoretical: advancing e-commerce theory by reconceptualizing digital interaction, trust, and personalization in immersive contexts.
Practical: providing guidance for policymakers and business leaders to implement sustainable, inclusive, and ethical metaverse commerce strategies.
This Special Issue will therefore serve as a platform for scholars and practitioners to chart the next phase of e-commerce theory and practice, grounded in socio-technical innovation and human-centered design. Moreover, this Special Issue differentiates itself through its focus on the socio-technical interplay between AI, immersive environments, and sustainable commerce models, positioning it as a bridge between theory-building and practical innovation in e-commerce.
Dr. Abeer Alkhwaldi
Prof. Dr. Amir A. Abdulmuhsin
Dr. David Zeng
Dr. Deb Tech
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- socio-technical systems theory (STS)
- actor–network theory (ANT)
- technology–organization–environment (TOE) framework
- E-commerce theory
- artificial intelligence anchors
- virtual influencers
- metaverse commerce
- human–computer interaction (HCI)
- immersive FinTech and sustainability
- green digital transformation
- gamification in E-commerce
- trust and ethics in immersive commerce
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