Adoption of Virtual Reality as a Legitimate Working Tool

Abstract

The major purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of technological legitimacy and attitudes towards Virtual Reality on reaching successful implementation within Danish organizations. The recent notable popularity of Virtual Reality has acquired for enhancement of organizational communication and interactional opportunities, has influenced the need of further research on this subject. However, the study reveals several impactable elements when the adaptability of the technology is investigated, including certain societal barriers and the potential users’ attitudes, and understanding of the technology. The thesis includes multiple theoretical frameworks to analyze the aforementioned impactable aspects, with the Technological Acceptance Model (Davis, 1986) acting as the main driver for constructing the complete research framework. The investigation utilizes a qualitative research methodology, including ten business leaders, representing six different Danish organizations spread across distinctive industries. In addition, a discourse analysis is applied to obtain knowledge of the general societal attitude towards the use of VR, and the areas of application. Furthermore, an examination of the technological legitimacy of Virtual Reality in Denmark is carried out in relation to potential alignment and misalignments with the institutional structures. Moreover, the study contends that Virtual Reality possesses the ability to a better work environment by encouraging and promoting enhanced social interaction, which could lead to improved productivity and efficiency for the user, but also for the concerned organizations. Likewise, the findings emphasized perceptions and attitudes about new technologies in general, as well as the elements that support successful adoption and deployment of novel technologies. Finally, the study illustrates the complex interplay between attitudes, perceptions, and the level of legitimacy assigned to Virtual Reality as a novel and innovative technology.