Business meetings and travel - from physical presence to virtual reality and maybe back again: A case study of business meetings in the metaverse platform Horizon Workrooms
Author
Ingvorsen, Marc
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2022
Submitted on
2022-10-14
Pages
68
Abstract
This thesis examines the relationship between in-person business travel and digital meetings, focusing on Horizon Workrooms, a virtual reality platform in the metaverse. The broader shift toward digitalization, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has expanded online meetings, and VR environments offer a new kind of meeting space. The study combines a theoretical approach with a small experiment: five participants met in Horizon Workrooms and were interviewed about their experience and their general views on business travel. The thesis presents a set of themes that illuminate key aspects of digital and physical meetings: climate and sustainability, potential effects on the tourism industry, the extent to which digital platforms like Horizon Workrooms can support meetings and professional relationships, and the practical pros and cons of physical travel, including time, cost, meeting outcomes, and impacts on leisure and family life. The aim is to map both benefits and challenges of digital and in-person meetings without taking a final position.
Dette speciale undersøger forholdet mellem fysiske forretningsrejser og digitale møder med fokus på Horizon Workrooms, en virtuel virkelighedsplatform i metaverset. Udviklingen mod digitalisering, som blev accelereret af coronaepidemien, har gjort online møder mere udbredte, og VR-miljøer repræsenterer en ny type mødeplads. Undersøgelsen kombinerer en teoretisk tilgang med et lille eksperiment, hvor fem deltagere mødtes i Horizon Workrooms og efterfølgende blev interviewet om deres oplevelse og deres generelle holdning til forretningsrejser. Specialet præsenterer en række temaer, der belyser de mange aspekter af digitale og fysiske møder: klimahensyn og bæredygtighed, mulige konsekvenser for turismebranchen, i hvilket omfang digitale platforme som Horizon Workrooms kan understøtte møder og relationer, samt praktiske fordele og ulemper ved fysisk rejse, herunder tidsforbrug, omkostninger, møderesultater og indvirkning på fritid og familieliv. Formålet er at kortlægge både gevinster og udfordringer ved digitale og fysiske møder uden at tage endelig stilling.
[This apstract has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]
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