Social loafing impact on collaboration in 3D virtual worlds : an empirical study

Collaboration is increasingly distributed and influenced by the technologies involved in the workspace. 3D Virtual Worlds (VWs) are rich and promising collaboration tools that provide highly interactive environments. Several researchers and practitioners are particularly interested in the potential of these new media to support collaborative practices. However, the literature does not provide yet satisfactory and accurate response to companies about impacts of these technologies' use for professional collaboration purposes. The present research attempts to address this gap and looks at this effect more closely. This research in progress presents the research model and research methodology used. The research model hypothesizes social loafing as substantial factor that determines team members' involvement in knowledge sharing and application processes. In the future, this empirical study suggests quantitative assessment of the impact of 3D virtual world use in workspace on knowledge sharing and knowledge application.