Individual and professional development in the digital age: Towards a conceptual model of virtual worlds for organizations

Individual and professional development in the digital age: Towards a conceptual model of virtual worlds for organizations

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Towards a conceptual model of virtual worlds for organizations

The Authors

Bernadett Koles, Business School, Central European University, Budapest, Hungary

Peter Nagy, Business School, Central European University, Budapest, Hungary

Abstract

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.

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Copyright ©

ISSN:

2040-8269

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