Unlocking Corporate Value through Virtual Worlds: Early Adopters as Key Drivers of Innovation

Unlocking the Business Potential of Virtual Worlds

Although virtual worlds have not yet gned widespread adoption in corporate environments, their potential for business applications remns largely untapped. Employees who are already familiar with this technology could be key to unlocking its organizational value.

A spectrum exists of virtual world platformsfrom recreational environments like MMO games such as World of Warcraft and Guild Wars to immersive business-oriented platforms such as ProtoSphere and Teleplace. Then there are the mixed-use options, like ActiveWorlds or Second Life.

To better understand how businesses might leverage virtual worlds for value creation, we surveyed over 200 early adopters from an online community dedicated to virtual worlds. A total of 203 completed surveys were analyzed response rate: 29. Our sample was dominated by males and included respondents with a range of job tenures, age groups, educational backgrounds with the majority holding bachelor’s or higher degrees, and managerial roles.

Characterization of Virtual World Users

Our survey revealed that these early users exhibit strong tencies towards IT playfulness and the need for uniqueness. This aligns with the gaming origins of virtual worlds and the use of customizable avatars to represent digital identities. In fact, many respondents identified a pronounced need for uniqueness that they satisfy through their adoption and utilization of innovative technologies.

Utilitarian vs. Recreational Use

Surprisingly, there's an overlap between how individuals use virtual worlds for fun and for work. Satisfaction with entertnment experiences often drives individuals to explore potential business applications. This suggests that those who currently enjoy using virtual worlds are more likely to identify their utility in professional settings when they're content with the service.

Evangelists of Virtual Worlds

The survey highlighted early adopters as key influencers within organizations, often taking on the role of technology champions without formal instruction. These individuals are typically enthusiastic and voluntary supporters whose engagement is crucial for the widespread adoption of virtual worlds internally.

Strategy for Organizations: Leverage Early Adopters

A practical strategy for businesses considering the potential of virtual worlds is to identify these early adopters within their own ranks, allowing them to explore business applications freely. The cost-effective, low-risk approach here involves leveraging existing familiarity and enthusiasm with technology among employees who can drive internal innovation.

By acknowledging and capitalizing on this phenomenon, organizations stand poised to realize the potential of virtual worlds in enhancing productivity, creativity, and collaborative effortsultimately contributing to their competitive advantage and bottom-line growth. The low-cost approach of identifying and empowering early adopters within companies could serve as a catalyst for widespread adoption and innovation.

References

Saggi Nevo University of Albany School of Business, Dorit Nevo Schulich School of Business, York University, Erran Carmel Kogod School of Business at American University

Topics:

• Information Technology

• Social Business

• Social Networks

• Virtual Office

• Virtual Reality

• The has been streamlined for clarity and efficiency while mntning the core insights. Specific names and organization detls have been generalized to attribution.*

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