Purpose: The current paper aims to
embrace an interdisciplinary approach to illustrate some of the ways in
which virtual worlds expanded upon the individual, social and
professional options of employees in organizational settings.
Design/methodology/approach: Through an extensive literature review, the
paper compiles the latest and most fundamental research capturing
relevant concepts from the fields of psychology, pedagogy, management
and human-computer interaction. Findings: The current conceptual model
incorporates individual- and group-level outcomes associated with
virtual world participation, along three primary dimensions, namely
self-reference, role experimentation and social capital, accounting for
potential variation based on the extent of organizational engagement.
Practical implications: The three proposed dimensions elaborated in the
current model, including reflexivity/transference, role playing/role
identification, and group collaboration/virtual teams, enable
organizations to understand the likely outcomes of their virtual
presence from the perspective of their structural and social attributes.
Originality/value: The proposed conceptual model offers a theoretical
base for academics and practitioners to expand upon and develop concrete
practical examples and cases. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Organizational behaviour; Personnel development; Professional development; Role playing; Virtual teams; Virtual worlds