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This paper aims to investigate the potentials of virtual reality (VR) for residential real estate marketing to influence house purchase intention.

Based on the relevant literature in consumer behaviour, this study hypothesised the relationships between atmosphere with pleasure and arousal emotions and the subsequent influence of emotions towards house purchase intention in a virtual environment. A within-subjects experimental design was conducted with 60 real potential homebuyers to test the hypotheses. Data were analysed using paired samples t-test and partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).

Results revealed that there is a significant difference in the atmosphere and house purchase intention between real and virtual environments. On the other hand, pleasure and arousal emotions evoked in real and virtual environments showed no significant difference. The results show that the atmosphere significantly affects pleasure and arousal, where pleasure, in turn, has a significant effect on purchase intention, and arousal showed an insignificant effect on purchase intention in the virtual environment.

Due to budget limitation, this study was constrained to the use of HTC Vive as the VR equipment and evaluation of only one type of housing design.

This study contributes to facilitating the revitalisation of real estate marketing with the integration of VR by providing notable empirical results and recommendations based on the research findings.

This study extends the current knowledge from the stimulus-organism-response framework for a smart real estate marketing strategy using VR.

The purpose of this paper is twofold: to provide an overview of related studies and to highlight research gaps and questions that need to be addressed. Research conducted in three-dimensional (3D) online environments constitutes a different research context, not least because it involves the recruitment of avatars in the research process. Researchers need to appreciate better the ethical concerns that arise in this novel, fast-evolving context and how these concern different stakeholders.

The paper employs an interdisciplinary desk-research approach. It critically reviews related literature, highlights the involved stakeholders, discusses ethical issues from a marketing research perspective and concludes with a discussion of related studies and research gaps, providing direct future research avenues.

The characteristics of the 3D online environments and the behaviour and experiences of their users set the boundaries and guide the way regarding the ethical research in this context.

The paper does not present primary empirical results, instead it reviews and critiques related literature in 3D online environments and sets the agenda for future research.

The paper provides ethical guidelines and identifies blurred areas in conducting or participating in research in 3D online environments.

Based on earlier studies and examples of ethical concerns when studying 3D online environments, this paper emphasises the parameters that should be taken into consideration in current and future research studies.

The present study investigates whether individuals having a fixed digital mindset (comprises fundamental beliefs about technological ability and organizational resources as work becomes more digitalized) experience greater helplessness working in virtual teamwork environments. The authors examine how perceived internal human resource management (HRM) alignment moderates the positive relationship expected between individuals' fixed digital mindset and feelings of helplessness. Together, the paper aims to contribute to a greater understanding of the personal and contextual factors that influence an individual's experience of helplessness in virtual team settings.

The authors test the hypotheses using time-lagged survey data collected from 153 information technology (IT) engineers working in virtual teams in Europe.

The authors find that individuals with higher levels of fixed digital mindset experience greater helplessness in virtual teamwork environments than individuals with lower levels. Furthermore, the authors find that having higher-fixed beliefs about organizational resources is positively related to helplessness when individuals perceive that the broader HRM system is misaligned with the virtual teamwork environment.

The data were obtained from IT engineers in Europe, which is potentially limiting the generalizability of the authors' findings to other work contexts and cultures.

The authors' study helps leaders in virtual teamwork environments to better understand and manage the personal and contextual factors that could affect individuals' well-being and effective functioning in such settings.

The authors' research contributes to the scant literature investigating the personal characteristics important in virtual teamwork environments and the contextual factors important for aligning virtual teamwork designs with the organizational system. The authors extend this research by looking at personal and contextual factors together in a single model.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss merging the virtual learning environment of online students with the traditionally face‐to‐face, physical service of research consultations in the form of virtual research consultations (VRCs).

A literature review discusses the importance of instruction in virtual reference, how to combat inherit challenges and foster an instructional experience during virtual reference interactions, and the value of research consultations. The case study then examines how the Distance Learning Librarian at Norwich University implemented a VRC service.

Based on the ease of maintenance, number of appointments made and verbal feedback from students, VRCs are a valuable addition to virtual reference services for online students. They facilitate instruction in reference, foster relationship building, and also prove a considerable tool for outreach.

The case study provides an example of a service that can be implemented at other institutions. The author also discusses alternative technology options.

There is little discussion in the literature of research consultations being incorporated into virtual reference services. With the growing focus in academia on online education and increasing accessibility of tools to foster a rich virtual learning environment, research consultations are a natural next step in virtual reference.

This paper examines the three-dimensional (3D)virtual world users’ perceptions of authenticity and trustworthiness in the virtual prototypes and users’ potential purchase behavior in the real-world settings. The 3D virtual worlds provide a new platform that exhibits virtual prototypes as a promotion channel for new products of real-world and online service, where users can communicate “face to face” via their representative avatars.

The authors conducted an experiment in Second Life and collected data in a post-study questionnaire to test our proposed conceptual model. Structural equation modeling was the main methodology.

The research results showed that 3D virtual world users obtained a high sense of telepresence and social presence. The sense of telepresence positively leads to users’ perceptions of online trust in the virtual prototypes and thus increases their intention to purchase real-world objects; the users’ sense of social presence positively associates to their perceptions of authenticity and online trust and, therefore, their purchase intention.

In survey research, the common method variance is a problem. A more robust way is to use objective measures.

A new channel was proposed for businesses to enhance their online strategies that will increase their business value.

3D virtual world is also a cutting-edge platform for remote education, public information service, etc.

This paper initially contributes to the literature that interprets underlying factors in 3D virtual worlds associated to purchase intention in real-world objects. We demonstrated the advantages, i.e. the communication efficacy and vivid virtual design in the 3D user-generated environment.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a set of elements that Intelligence Community (IC) leadership can use as a framework to transition leadership development courses from the current face-to-face format to the virtual environment. IC employees face unique leadership challenges, and broader application of leadership development is needed. Due to the unique ethical and leadership dilemmas faced by the IC workforce, the unique makeup of the current labor force, the limitations of traditional face-to-face leadership development efforts, and the broad group of stakeholders affected, the IC should transition from face-to-face leadership development to a virtual environment. In this phenomeno logical qualitative study, eight primary themes emerged as important to include in a virtual leadership development course.

This paper aims to describe the deployment of an e‐learning environment for construction courses based on enhancing virtual computing technologies using agent‐based techniques.

This research involves designing and deploying a complex application that combines advanced visualisation, interactive management through complex virtual devices, distributed multi‐user communication and intelligent components. The proposed agent‐oriented methodology and resulting application organises construction knowledge into a structure that enables the students to undertake more self‐directed, systematic and scientific exploration.

There is great potential for experimenting with a wider variety of educational technologies such as “intelligent” virtual environments. This is a concept that needs further experimentation within construction courses to enrich students' learning with practice‐based experiences. The use of ageny‐oriented objects within simulations and modeling make the virtual learning environment a highly interactive experience. Attempts to do this using traditional intelligent tutoring systems have been frustrated by integrations challenges. Agent‐based systems can handle such challenges. The agent approach is also more efficient in analysing the impact of different decisions in various scenarios by automating the execution of repetitive, time‐consuming actions.

This research identifies specific gaps in the existing e‐learning infrastructure that can be addressed using the intelligent agent paradigm. In particular, the research demonstrates how the notion of learning by actively exploring and controlling environmental variables can be best utilised in the selected domain by giving the learners the means to rapidly visualize the effects of their decisions.

Construction disciplines have increasingly embraced the use of advanced visualisation applications and display systems that allow students to gain a better understanding of the construction process and the resulting facility's performance. Existing efforts are based on image visualisation or animation detailed using, for example, Virtual Reality Modeling Language and 3D Studio Max‐based design animations and walkthroughs. None of these efforts has explored the use of an agent oriented, virtual tutoring approach. A comprehensive literature review established that of no formalised methodologies exist for deploying agent‐based virtual learning environments.

In order to encourage customers to try experience virtual tourism, researchers and practitioners pay more attention on how to improve customers' perception of authenticity.

Using the theory of cross-sensory compensation, through 4 experiments, this study examines the impact of social interaction and cross-sensory strategies on the relationship between virtual reality (VR) and improving customers' perception of authenticity and customer experience.

Through experimental research, this paper finds that (1) VR immersion has a significant positive impact on perception of authenticity, which in turn acts on customers' virtual tourism experience. (2) In addition, social interaction strengthens the relationship between VR immersion and customers' perception of authenticity. (3) The cross-sensory compensation has a positive effect on VR immersion to enhance customers' perception of authenticity.

The research conclusion provides a direction for further discussion on how to improve customers' perception of authenticity and provides theoretical guidance and reference for the virtual tourism industry.

The aim of this paper is to look at the changes to library services that arose from the institutional adoption of virtual learning environments and discusses how these may influence the development of user facing information services for researchers using similar virtual research environments.

The paper reviews the impact of institutional VLEs on the provision of added value library services to learners and discusses the potential for these developments to influence the librarian‐researcher relationship and the information services provided to the research community using an institutional VRE.

The wide‐scale introduction of institutional VREs provides librarians with an opportunity to establish closer working relationships with academic researchers to support the development of a number of information discovery and management tools and services that are embedded in the workflows and virtual research workspace of the research community.

This provides a useful resource for librarians, academic researchers and university research policy makers who are engaged in the support of academic research.

The paper reviews the provision of information services to researchers and learners using virtual community environments in a contemporary context.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify and analyze factors influencing the mutual relationship between patients and medical units in the virtual environment. Since introduction of the internet and other electronic tools for medical services provision is at the very initial stage, it is necessary to examine factors which condition engagement of patients and medical units in building bilateral relations in a new virtual environment and to develop relationship models on the health services market. Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents findings of the field study conducted in Poland, being a representative market under transition. Surveys were conducted among patients and medical units by means of structured questionnaires. The identification of relationship factors was based on the approach used in consumer behavior models, where the method of the so‐called summary of variables is left behind. Findings – According to research results, the most important factors affecting relationships between patients and medical units in the virtual environment include: the motivation, ability and market opportunity. With respect to patients, the most powerful factor is represented by the ability, whereas with respect to medical units by the market opportunity. Practical implications – Identified factors and developed models may be widely applied in practical operation of medical units, particularly in developing marketing programs for introduction of virtual service and communication tools, as well as in building patient loyalty programs. Originality/value – The paper is one of the first to have defined factors determining relationships on the virtual healthcare market and to have provided useful insights into the subject. Moreover, it constitutes a basis for future studies. The findings can greatly contribute to development of customer behavior and partnership marketing theories.