Shahla Ghobadi's research on digital divide and activism examines began by examining women using online communities to express identities, build relationships, and surface collective needs (Ghobadi, 2011).
This lead to explaining how digital divides are shaped by state censorship and information control (Ghobadi & Ghobadi, 2015).
A critical mass approach to collective action is covered in Ghobadi and Clegg (2015) through a longitudinal case study of YouTube-based campaigns. This work yields a process model of online activism for societal change that can also decline under pressures (e.g., self-censorship and surveillance).
Corporate responses to digital activism was studied with strategic framing theory to examine how social movement organisations can foster collaborations (Ghobadi and Sonenshein (2024). A longitudinal study contributed the concept of ambivalent content positioning and a theoretical model explaining how consumer values and brand loyalty shape digital activism strategies.
In recent years, this research has converged on the question of how socially responsible digital development can be profitable, taking accountability for societal risks like privacy, data exploitation, and emotional manipulation in products, processes, and platforms. A forthcoming article addresses the question of why digital exclusion persists amidst well-intentioned inclusion efforts (Ghobadi, 2025). The research develops a synthesized model that maps digital exclusion dimensions, antecedents, and reinforcing mechanisms. Further research examines how developers’ internal critiques and insider activism intersect with platform companies’ profit and innovation priorities (Ghobadi & Sonenshein, 2025a, 2025b). This work demonstrates how firms navigate ethical tensions and contributes a perspective on how advocacy supports internal critiques within companies and fosters positive change.
Ghobadi, S., Sonenshein, S. (2024) "Creating Collaboration: How Social Movement Organizations Shape Digital Activism to Promote Broader Social Change," Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 25(3), 781-803.
Ghobadi, S., Clegg, S. 2015, ‘These days will never be forgotten’: A Critical Mass Approach to Online Activism, Information and Organization, 25 (1), 2–71.
Ghobadi, S., Ghobadi, Z. 2014. How Access Gaps Interact and Shape Digital Divide: A Cognitive Investigation, Behaviour & Information Technology, 34 (4), 330-340.
Ghobadi, S. 2013. Application of Activity Theory in Understanding Online Communities of Practice: A Case of Feminism, Journal of Community Informatics, 9 (1), 1-12.
Ghobadi. S. 2016. Online Activism and Online Tactics, International Conference on Information Systems, Dublin, Ireland
Ghobadi, S., Ghobadi, Z. 2013. How Access Gaps Interact Together: A Cognitive Investigation, European Conference on Information Systems, Utrecht, Netherland
Ghobadi, S., Smith, S. 2011. The Employment of Online Communities of Practice among Eastern Women, Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems, Brisbane, Australia