Paper Number
ECIS2026-1174
Paper Type
CRP
Abstract
Organizations require data to assess their sustainability commitments. While research calls for a data perspective on sustainability, it remains underexplored how data represent and mediate these commitments. In this paper, we argue that data function as semiotic artifacts deeply imbricated in organizational contexts that inform and constrain real-world sustainability efforts. Based on a revelatory case study, we identify three types of digital realities related to sustainability: (1) an operational reality, grounded in time-bound records of physical events; (2) a strategic reality, constructed through sustainability reporting; (3) a bridging reality, codified through quality standards and control workflows. We thereby show how multiple, co-existing digital realities are constructed and aligned within the sustainability domain. Theoretically, our study extends representation theory by shifting the focus from how individual representations mediate reality to how multiple, co-existing digital realities are constructed, interact, and must be aligned within organizations.
Recommended Citation
Wang, Jingyang; Muench, Mathias; Teracino, Elizabeth A.; Legner, Christine; Mayer, Joerg Hans; and Quick, Reiner, "Reality Constructed, Reality Lost: Navigating Multiple Digital Realities Of Sustainability" (2026). ECIS 2026 Proceedings. 4.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/ecis2026/is_resil/isresilience/4
Reality Constructed, Reality Lost: Navigating Multiple Digital Realities Of Sustainability
Organizations require data to assess their sustainability commitments. While research calls for a data perspective on sustainability, it remains underexplored how data represent and mediate these commitments. In this paper, we argue that data function as semiotic artifacts deeply imbricated in organizational contexts that inform and constrain real-world sustainability efforts. Based on a revelatory case study, we identify three types of digital realities related to sustainability: (1) an operational reality, grounded in time-bound records of physical events; (2) a strategic reality, constructed through sustainability reporting; (3) a bridging reality, codified through quality standards and control workflows. We thereby show how multiple, co-existing digital realities are constructed and aligned within the sustainability domain. Theoretically, our study extends representation theory by shifting the focus from how individual representations mediate reality to how multiple, co-existing digital realities are constructed, interact, and must be aligned within organizations.