Francesco Gualdi

Francesco Gualdi is a Lecturer in International Business and Technology within Regent’s University London's School of Business. 

He also holds positions of Research Fellow at the Center for Technology in Government, State University of New York at Albany and Associate Guest Teacher at the London School of Economics.

Beyond academia, he has collaborated with leading consultancy firms, and he has advised the G20 Presidency working with the United Nations’ International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

Prior to academic career, Francesco served as strategic advisor within the Italian Government, within the Prime Minister’s Office (Presidenza del Consiglio). In that context, he had the chance to advise on the definition of digital policies at EU level.

Francesco holds a PhD in Enterprise Engineering from Tor Vergata University in Rome.

He is a fellow of the UK Higher Education Association

Francesco is the President-Elect of the Association for Information Systems Special Interest Group (SIG) on Digital Government. Moreover, he serves as chair for the mini-track "Design, Implementation, and Management of Digital Government Policies and Strategies" at the Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS). At HICSS, he is the organiser of the Digital Government Doctoral Consortium.

Journal papers
- Cordella, A. & Gualdi, F. (2025). Policymaking in the Digital Era: Exploring techno-legal assemblages and their impact on policy formulation. Government Information Quarterly, 42(2), 102023. DOI: 10.1016/j.giq.2025.102023.
- Cordella, A. & Gualdi, F. (2024). Regulating generative AI: The limits of technology-neutral regulatory frameworks. Insights from Italy's intervention on ChatGPT. Government Information Quarterly, 41(4), 101982. DOI: 10.1016/j.giq.2024.101982.
- Cordella, A. & Gualdi, F. (2024). Algorithmic formalization: impacts on administrative processes. Public Administration, 103(2), pp. 441-466. DOI: 10.1111/padm.13030.
- Cordella, A., Gualdi, F. & van de Laar, M. (2024). Digital skills within the Public Sector: A missing link to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Information Polity, 29(1), pp.10-33. DOI: 10.3233/IP-230008.

Book chapters
Gualdi, F. & Cordella, A. (2024). Artificial intelligence to support public sector decision-making: the emergence of entangled accountability. In Constantiou, I., Joshi, M., & Stelmaszak, M. (eds.), Research Handbook on AI and Decision Making in Organizations, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, pp. 266–281.

Conference papers
- Gualdi, F., and Davoodi, A. “Strategic Platform Forking in Constrained Markets: a Dynamic Capabilities Perspective”. Accepted at the 2025 International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS).
- Cordella, A., and Gualdi, F. “Algorithmic formalization: how the past constraints the future”. Accepted at the 59th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS).
- Cordella, A., and Gualdi, F. “AI techno-institutional inertia: the impact on redistribution policies”. Presented at the AI in Government and Academia Summit – event hosted by the UK’s Government Digital Service, 11 September 2025.
- Gualdi, F., and Ong, V. (2025). AI drifting and converting emergency policies: an institutional theory perspective. 26th Annual International Conference on Digital Government Research, 9-12 June 2025.
- Cordella, A., Gualdi, F., and Paletti, A. (2025). “How to insource digital services in the public sector: lessons learned from the Italian case of Enel”. 58th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, 7-10 January 2025.
- Cordella, A., and Gualdi, F. (2024). The regulation of generative AI: lessons from Italy’s suspension of ChatGPT. The 84th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, August 2024, Chicago (US).
- Gualdi, F., and Popp, S. (2024). Workers’ attitudes towards algorithmic management systems: a socio-technical journey from cognitive complacency to algorithm aversion. 39th EGOS Colloquium, 4-6 July 2024.
- Gualdi, F., and Cordella, A. (2024). Theorizing the regulation of generative AI: lessons learned from Italian ban of ChatGPT. 57th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, 3-6 January 2024.
- Cordella, A., and Gualdi, F. (2023). AI and bureaucratic decision-making: a new layer of opacity. The 83rd Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, August 2023, Boston (US).
- Gualdi, F., Cordella, A. and Crespo-Chanis, M. (2023). Algorithms for Law: changing roles and structures in organizations. 38th EGOS Colloquium, 6-8 July 2023.
-Gualdi, F., and Cordella, A. (2023). Policymaking in time of Covid-19: how the rise of techno-institutional inertia impacts the design and delivery of ICT-mediated policies. 56th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, 3-6 January 2023.
- Cordella, A., Gualdi, F. and Cessel, A. (2022). Explainability vs Transparency: the enactment of how to identify and address AI bias. 37th EGOS Colloquium, 7-9 July 2022.
- Gualdi, F. and Cordella, A. (2022). Techno-legal entanglements as new actors in the policy-making process. 55th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, 4-7 January 2022.
- Gualdi, F. and Cordella, A. (2021). Artificial Intelligence and Decision-Making: the question of Accountability. 54th HICSS

Francesco's main research interests cover the areas of AI adoption in the public sector, digital government, impact of technology on policymaking activity. Following the most recent trends of research, he concentrates on the specific contribution Artificial Intelligence carries to public policymaking, by looking at organisational, managerial, legal, and political effects.

• Active Academic Memberships: Academy of Management; Association for Information Systems; Digital Government Society
• Past Academic Memberships: European Group for Organization Studies; European Academy of Management.
• Professional Memberships: Order of Journalists (2007-2019), Italy
• Fellowships: Action Institute, Milan, Italy; Fellow, Higher Education Academy, UK
• Contributions and collaborations: Das Progressive Zentrum, Berlin, Germany; Policy Network, London, UK; France Forum, Paris, France

Regents’ University London, United Kingdom
Contributed to the research activity within the Business School. Duties fulfilled include research outputs delivery and dissemination.
Teaching duties within the BSc Business, Technology and Entrepreneurship (BTE), BA Business and Management, and within the MA Entrepreneurship and Project Management. Responsible for the preparation of lectures, seminars, and bootcamp activities, and for the marking of formative and summative assignments. Responsible for design and delivery of the following modules:
SEL704 – Exploring and Redefining Artificial Intelligence (AYs 2024-26).
SEL611 – Understanding Artificial Intelligence (AYs 2025-26)
BTE601 – New Ventures in Technology (AYs 2024-26).
MGT504 – Managing Digital Disruption and Transformation (AYs 2024-25).
MGT7A4 – Technology and Innovation (AYs 2024-25).

The London School of Economics and Political Science
Contributed to the research activity within the Information Systems and Innovation Group. Duties fulfilled include research outputs delivery and dissemination.
Teaching, examining and mentoring students for the MSc in Information Systems and Digital Innovation (MISDI) and for Undergraduate program. Responsible for the preparation of lectures, seminars, and workshops, and for the marking of formative and summative assignments. Modules taught:
MG479 – Information Systems for the Public Sector (AYs 2019-24).
MG460 – Emergencies Management: Humanitarian Intervention and Digital Innovation (AYs 2019-23).
MG472 – Management and Socioeconomics of Digital Innovation (AYs 2022-24).
MG486 – Social Computing, Data Analytics, and Information Services (AY 2020-21).
MG209 – E-business (AYs 2019-24).
Supervising 70+ students in dissertation preparation. Supporting 80+ mentees providing pastoral care.

University of London and LSE, UK
Head Class Teacher for UoL’s International Programmes jointly offered by LSE. Responsibilities covered: hiring class teacher, supervising lectures, coordinating education activities for online BSc module IS2184 (Information Systems Management). Deputy Chief Examiner for UoL’s International Programmes jointly offered by LSE. Responsibilities covered: marking examination essays and exams for BSc level modules IS2184 (Information Systems Management) and IS3167 (Management and Innovation of e-Business).