Abstract
Recent advancements in extended reality (XR) immersive technologies provide new tools for the development of novel and promising applications for business. Specifically, extended reality training applications are becoming popular in business due to their advantages of low cost, risk-free, data-oriented training. Extended reality training is the digital simulation of lifelike scenarios for training purposes using technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality. Many applications are already available to train employees to develop specific technical skills, from maintenance to construction. The purpose of this chapter is to review the emerging XR applications developed for management training. Specifically, this chapter will focus on the training of some key skills in management such as leadership, problem solving, emotional intelligence, communication, and team working.
TopState Of The Art
The development of XR technologies in recent years has resulted in more accessible, immersive, and affordable solutions that can prove to be effective for the development of management skills with practical implications and uses.
Hickman et al (Hickman et al., 2017) investigated how Virtual Reality could be used to fill the intercultural leadership’s gap generated by one’s intercultural knowledge, skills, and attitudes in STEM, through the use of experimental learning and pedagogical foundations principles. This project provides an innovative approach for leaders to become global business leaders in STEM fields.
Aseel et al. (Aseel et al., 2019), investigated the benefits of Augmented Reality for optimizing product delivery in the construction sector, demonstrating that Augmented Reality training facilitated the delivery of construction and integration of project teams.
MBA students at the University of St. Thomas, Opus College of Business can develop their ethical leadership skills through a VR simulation (McLeod, 2018).
NEOMA Business School launched a program for students to use Virtual Reality to develop problem solving skills in a challenging business environment (McLeod, 2018).
Conflict management skills can be developed in risk-free realistic immersive situations. In 2019, University of Newcastle investigated the use of VR to train nursing students in conflict management simulations: the application replicates a real world emergency room and asks students to respond to a high pressure mock scenario. Students’ heart rates data were also collected during the task, to teach them how to be calm and diffuse high pressure situations (Newcastle University Official Website, 2019).
In 2012, Paul G. Putman (Putman et al., 2012), developed a Virtual Reality simulation for learning styles and conflict management tactics. This simulator explored the relationship between conflict management and personality type, and what type of adult learner might perform best within a virtual leadership simulation.
Management techniques of various types of conflicts – from high to low intensity – and the development of a positive, solution-oriented attitude was investigated by the company 5Discovery (5discovery website).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Virtual Reality: The VR (virtual reality) is a realistic simulation of a reality that does not exist. It comes from the combination of hardware and software devices that “collaborate” to create a virtual space within which the user can move freely. Access to this digital world is made possible by VR viewers and accessories (not just joypads, but also gloves, shoes and more) developed specifically to interact and “live” within virtual reality. In this way a simulated and three-dimensional world is created which in the eyes (but not only) of the users appears to be real.
Extended Reality: Extended reality (XR) technology is an umbrella term that includes virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR).
Mixed Reality: Mixed reality is any technology that combines real elements with virtual elements. This classification follows the famous “reality-virtuality continuum” theorized at the same time by Milgram and Kishino, which shows that there is a spectrum of technologies that goes from pure real reality to pure virtual reality.
Augmented Reality: The AR (augmented reality) technology is relatively recent and constantly evolving. It is the representation of an altered reality in which, to the normal reality perceived by our senses, artificial and virtual information is superimposed, that is a series of information to be superimposed on what the eyes see.