Phylicia Esther Babb

PhD Research Fellow Department of Information Systems

Email: phylicia.e.babb@uia.no
Phone: +47 38 14 18 90

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Background and experience

Phylicia Babb is a PhD Research Fellow in the Department of Information Systems at the University of Agder, Norway. Her research examines the governance of digital infrastructures, with a focus on policy implications for emerging technologies. She also explores ICT-enabled interventions in Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Phylicia holds an MSc in Digital Project Management & Consulting from ESCP Business School. Her work has been published in Information Technology for Development and presented at the UK Academy for Information Systems (UKAIS) Annual Conference. She has taught as an adjunct at the University of The Bahamas and as a visiting lecturer at ESCP Business School.

Research

Her main area of interests include:

Governance of Emerging Technologies
Platform Governance
Digitalisation of Public Sector
ICT4D

Selected publications

Babb, Phylicia and Chamakiotis, Petros (2023). Social Value in Digital Health: The Case of the Bahamian Public Healthcare System. Proceedings of the UK Academy for Information Systems (UKAIS 2023) Annual Conference.

Projects

AGORA Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network

Research groups

Babb, Phylicia Esther (2026). Metaverse governance: A literature review exploring ethical considerations. Procedia Computer Science. 278, p. 133–140. doi: 10.1016/j.procs.2026.02.447. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
The metaverse is rapidly evolving, offering opportunities while also raising critical concerns regarding its governance. This study explores the ethical considerations for metaverse governance through a systematic literature review. The analysis revealed six key ethical desires expressed by stakeholders: freedom of choice and expression, privacy and security, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), fairness, trust, and transparency. Prior research on these ethical desires spans across identification, implementation, and evaluation. These three stages are used to structure the literature findings in a systematic and cohesive manner. The study highlights the need for governance frameworks that align with stakeholder expectations, ensuring ethical, user-centric, and sustainable development of the metaverse. It provides a foundation for future research and contributes to both research and practice by offering a structured approach to examining metaverse governance
Babb, Phylicia Esther & Chamakiotis, Petros (2025). Using the lens of affordances to unpack tangible forms of digitalization-enabled social value in the Bahamian Public Healthcare System. Information Technology for Development. ISSN 0268-1102. 31(4), p. 1374–1398. doi: 10.1080/02681102.2025.2488324. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
We study how digitalization creates tangible forms of social value in the underexplored context of Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and specifically in the Bahamian Public Healthcare System (PHS). We adopt an affordances perspective and draw on 21 interviews with practicing healthcare professionals and administrators. Our analysis reveals five tangible forms of social value (or affordances), detailing what specific technical capabilities of digitalization lead to social value generation, and what problems they address within the Bahamian PHS. The five affordances are: interconnectivity, effective communication, standardization of knowledge, capacity maximization, and data security. We make two contributions: (a) linking recognized types of social value in the existing literature to specific tangible forms of social value; and (b) empirically advancing the Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) field by explaining what local problems the five forms of value address.

View all works in NVA

Babb, Phylicia Esther; Baloutsos, Stratos; Polyviou, Ariana & Vassilakopoulou, Polyxeni (2025). Metaverse governance: A literature review exploring ethical considerations. Full text in Research Archive
Babb, Phylicia Esther; Baloutsos, Stratos; Polyviou, Ariana & Vassilakopoulou, Polyxeni (2025). Public Sector in the Metaverse: Rethinking Governance in Decentralised Ecosystems. Full text in Research Archive
Babb, Phylicia Esther; Baloutsos, Stratos; Polyviou, Ariana & Vassilakopoulou, Polyxeni (2025). Metaverse Governance and Compliance for Public Sector Participation. Full text in Research Archive

View all works in NVA

Published Sep. 23, 2024 5:53 AM - Last modified Mar. 2, 2026 4:03 PM