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<p class="MsoPlainText"><b>CALL FOR PAPERS<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText">Americas Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS), Savanah, Georgia, USA August 7-10, 2014.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText">Track: Virtual Worlds<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText">Mini-track title: <b>Social and Business Value of Virtual Communities in Virtual Worlds<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><b>Description</b>:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">The 3D and interactive web environment of virtual worlds is generating noteworthy interest among individuals and businesses alike. Some virtual worlds provide hi-tech gaming options while some others offer interactive
classes, dances, and club memberships. <a name="OLE_LINK1"></a><a name="OLE_LINK2">Beyond the entertainment and game play features, virtual worlds are also evolving towards business needs, such as recruiting for potential employees or conduct economic transactions.
<span class="mcontent">Some of these virtual worlds are even beginning to incorporate real-</span><span class="yellowfadeinnerspan">world</span><span class="mcontent"> goods and services, interactive shopping, customer support, and education. Businesses and
people are increasingly participating in virtual communities and sharing content, creating social and business opportunities.</span></a><span class="mcontent">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">It is still not clear whether virtual worlds and virtual communities are here to stay or it is just one of those phenomena that will fade over time. While it cannot be denied that virtual communities hold a lot
of potential, there is a need to examine the kind of social and business opportunities being enabled by virtual communities, the challenges virtual communities are facing today, and the opportunities they promise for the future.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">The objective of this mini-track is to provide a forum for discussion and presentation of original research, highlighting value and opportunities associated with virtual communities. We seek papers that address
value proposition of virtual communities within virtual worlds from a theoretical, conceptual, or empirical perspective. Both quantitative and qualitative studies on virtual communities are welcome.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Topics that are of interest to this mini-track include, but are not limited to:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">Best practices for fostering virtual world communities
<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">Designing virtual world communities for social value such as formal and informal learning, socializing, communicating, or other purposes<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">Improving business value of virtual world communities<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">Value of virtual worlds for educators and students as avatars<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">Virtual world collaborations and organizational performance<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">Impact of national cultures and virtual world communities cultures on social capital<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">Value in adoption of virtual communities<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">Measurement frameworks for value of virtual communities<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">Economic and social impacts of virtual communities<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">Cultural impacts and consequences of virtual worlds<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">Fun and entertainment value of virtual worlds<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">Success stories about use of virtual worlds<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">Business and commerce opportunities in virtual communities<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">Case studies documenting impact of virtual communities<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">Future opportunities enabled by virtual communities<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">Challenges in virtual communities development and maintenance<o:p></o:p></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><b>Instructions for Authors:<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText">Submission deadline is March 1, 2014. For more information including submission, visit: http://amcis2014.aisnet.org<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><b>Mini-track Co-Chairs</b>:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">Vikas Jain (Corresponding chair)</span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">University of Tampa, Tampa, FL, USA<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">Email: vjain@ut.edu<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt"><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black;font-weight:normal"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black;font-weight:normal">Vishal Midha<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790, USA<br>
<strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">Email:
</span></strong><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">vmidha@ilstu.edu</span></strong></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">------------------<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">Vishal Midha</span></b><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">Associate Professor</span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">Business Information Systems<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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203 | Illinois State University | Campus Box 5500 | Normal, IL 61790-5500 | Phone: 309.438.2276 | Office: 309.438.7654 | </span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">vmidha@ilstu.edu<u><span style="color:blue"><o:p></o:p></span></u></span></p>
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