A new research study has revealed the potential benefits of using virtual reality (VR) technology in business meetings. The study, conducted by Dr. Bo Huang from the University of Southampton, found that VR meetings can enhance engagement, collaboration, and innovative thinking in a simulated meeting environment.
The research methodology involved a diverse sample of 150 working professionals, aged 18-45, from 9 countries globally. Participants were divided into two groups: those with prior VR experience and those who use VR less frequently. The study found that the VR meeting group showed higher levels of engagement, collaboration, and innovative thinking compared to the video conferencing group.
According to the study, VR meetings offer a more immersive and interactive experience, prompting participants to engage in discussions and interactions more immersively. VR meetings simulate real-life scenarios, providing more opportunities for interaction. The enhanced application of body language in VR meetings significantly improves communication efficiency and team collaboration quality.
The findings of this study have significant implications for the future of business communication. With the rise of remote work and global teams, traditional face-to-face meetings are becoming less feasible and less effective. VR meetings offer a promising solution to this challenge, providing a more immersive and interactive experience that can overcome the limitations of distance and time.
Moreover, the potential applications of VR meetings extend beyond business communication. The technology can be used in various industries, such as education, healthcare, and entertainment, to create new opportunities for learning, treatment, and entertainment.
In an interview, Dr. Huang, one of the authors of the study, stated that a major advantage of VR meetings is that participants can express emotions and intentions more naturally, which significantly improves communication effectiveness, enhances engagement, and strengthens expression and teamwork results. He believes that this advantage, which is related to non-verbal communication, is one of the core reasons why VR meetings can be comparable to face-to-face meetings. Additionally, he pointed out that although VR meetings have some potential technical obstacles, these obstacles should not overshadow the advantages of VR meetings in improving meeting efficiency and enhancing participant interaction and communication skills, especially in the area of non-verbal communication. Therefore, VR meetings are expected to become an important tool for future corporate meetings.
“While video meetings are now widely used and have become common in business, it’s evident that key elements of communication are still missing in them”said Marc Metis Vice President at HTC. “Truly virtual meetings in VR with the actual sense of immersion together in a shared space,with body language group interaction and hands-on collaboration offer a better way forward and this study quantifies these effects.” Overall, the research study provides valuable insights into the benefits and challenges of using VR technology in business meetings. While the technology is not yet mainstream, it is likely to become more prevalent in the future as the demand for remote and immersive communication grows. As such, businesses and individuals should start exploring the potential of VR meetings and prepare for the future of business communication.
