Virtual Reality and Productivity in Knowledge Workers

Abstract

Productivity has a significant impact on success and monetary wellbeing of every organisation. Over the past few years, the substantial developments of digital technologies have encouraged a shift in the way we work and produce, from an office-based environment to “virtual work”. However, very little is known as to how virtual work and productivity can be supported by virtual reality (VR). We conducted two studies to extend previous productivity research in relation to VR: Study one examined the routes that connect the organisational context with the individual productivity position through the lens of remote working and distributed collaboration; Study two explored the nature of and connections between productivity in individuals and teams working in VR. Based on the findings we explored how the future of VR could enact in knowledge workers’ daily productivity. This was done by developing a VR productivity framework that represents physical, environmental, cognitive, and behavioural needs to ensure productivity and organisational growth. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

Workspace and Productivity: Guidelines for Virtual Reality Workplace Design and Optimization

“…can have a significant impact on teamwork and task work success. These findings are in alignment with previous work; for example, in our previous work [27], we showed that VR can enable joyful, energized teamwork sessions, with personalized avatars being a significant contributor to team cohesiveness, while the challenges that need resolution to permit effective collaboration in VR include lighter hardware and improved comfort, as well as adequate technology and tool implementations, alongside VR spaces that enable both teamwork and task work.…”

“…Firstly, VR needs to account for several activities and work arrangements, including individual working, distributed collaboration, and in-office work. We know from previous research [27,28] that productivity is a multifaceted concept, largely depending on deadlines, knowledge workers' mental states (e.g., attention, motivation); the type of task (single tasks versus multi-tasking); and self-regulation behavior (e.g., task tracking versus external validation). It is, furthermore, shaped and impacted by synchronous and asynchronous collaboration, and the visibility of other team members' availability and working progress, through information sharing and project management and execution.…”

“…It is, furthermore, shaped and impacted by synchronous and asynchronous collaboration, and the visibility of other team members' availability and working progress, through information sharing and project management and execution. As a result of this, for VR to be successful, it needs to incorporate tailored environments based on the productivity characteristics aforementioned [27].…”