Empirical Study on the Factors Affecting Avatar Usage in Video Conference Platforms

초록

The world has undergone significant changes with the COVID-19 pandemic. While gradually moving away from the influence of COVID-19, remote f working has become normalized, and the work environment is increasingly adapting to remote and online settings. Consequently, the importance of video conference platforms is growing day by day. However, one of the major issues that has emerged with the continued use of video conference plat-forms is Zoom Fatigue. Efforts to address this issue have focused on enhancing privacy protection and improving smooth communication. Nevertheless, research in this area remains limited. Thus, this study aims to conduct empirical study on investigating the intentions behind avatar usage in video conference platforms by utilizing the characteristics of avatars used in the metaverse. Starting with an exploration of avatar attributes, this study identified various organizational perspectives related to avatar usage in smart work and video conference platforms. After conducting a review of relevant theories and prior studies, this study designed a research model and formulated hypotheses accordingly. The research model incorporates the Value-based Acceptance Model (VAM) and the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) model, with the independent variables of avatar identification, avatar interaction, avatar anonymity, and technology adoption readiness added as antecedents. Additionally, this incorporated variables from the VAM, such as privacy protection, Perceived Happiness, and sacrifice as benefits, as well as technical effort and innovation resistance as potential variables. To conduct empirical analysis, a survey was conducted targeting employees working in companies that utilize smart work practices. A total of 241 survey responses were used for statistical analysis, after excluding errors and incomplete responses. The analysis tools employed were SPSS 22 and SmartPLS 4.0. For hypothesis testing, the dedicated structural equation modeling program, SmartPLS 4.0, was used. Lastly, it was confirmed that avatar identification did not significantly influence the mediators. This study has empirical significance as it examines the adoption of avatars, a key element of the metaverse, to address the issues of Zoom fatigue and privacy concerns that have emerged with the increasing user base of video conference platforms after the COVID-19 pandemic. Through empirical analysis, this study validated the key factors for avatar adoption. The study also discusses its limitations and suggests future research directions. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024.

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