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

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.