Men are from Mars and women are from Venus: dyadic collaboration in the metaverse

Abstract

PurposeThe gender composition of teams remains an important yet complex element in unlocking the success of collaboration and performance in the metaverse. In this study, the authors examined the collaborations of same- and mixed-gender dyads to investigate how gender composition influences perceptions of the dyadic collaboration process and outcomes at both the individual and team levels in the metaverse.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on expectation states theory and social role theory, the authors hypothesized differences between dyads of different gender compositions. A blocked design was utilized where 432 subjects were randomly assigned to teams of different gender compositions: 101 male dyads, 59 female dyads and 56 mixed-gender dyads. Survey responses were collected after the experiment.FindingsMultilevel multigroup analyses reveal that at the team level, male dyads took on the we-impress manifestation to increase satisfaction with the team solution. In contrast, female and mixed-gender dyads adopted the we-work-hard-on-task philosophy to increase satisfaction with the team solution. At the individual level, impression management is the key factor associated with trust in same-gender dyads but not in mixed-gender dyads.Originality/valueAs one of the pioneering works on gender effects in the metaverse, our findings shed light on two fronts in virtual dyadic collaborations. First, the authors offer a theoretically grounded and gendered perspective by investigating male, female and mixed-gender dyads in the metaverse. Second, the study advances team-based theory and deepens the understanding of gender effects at both the individual and team levels (multilevel) in a virtual collaboration environment.

Guest editorial: Exploring the research opportunities and challenges in the metaverse

“…Multilevel multigroup analyses unravel the difference between dyads of different gender compositions. This study deepens our understanding of the gender effect in metaverse collaboration environments (Schiller et al ., 2024).…”

“…Regarding the opportunities in the metaverse, these articles demonstrate that the metaverse or virtual worlds based on advanced technologies and avatar empowerment may have a beneficial effect on individuals, showing us opportunities offered by the metaverse to carry out a new digital revolution. For example, metaverse provides a realistic environment that facilitates collaboration (Schiller et al ., 2024); the AR technology affords multimodal sensory interaction and enhances purchase intention (Chen et al ., 2024); the Proteus effect induces user engagement and use intention (Sun et al ., 2023); the features afforded by metaverse can satisfy user needs (Zuo and Shen, 2024). At the same time, these articles also provide an initial exploration of the challenges in metaverses.…”

Barriers to collaboration among female technical university administrators

“…Lack of trust in collaboration with stakeholders and among the females greatly undermine effective collaborations and affect sustainable administrative systems (Schiller et al, 2024). The results revealed exclusivity and inequality of female administrators due to actions taken by others such as management and other staff.…”

“…Lack of trust in collaboration with stakeholders and among the females greatly undermine effective collaborations and affect sustainable administrative systems (Schiller et al. , 2024).…”

“…The mixed-method research was adopted, integrating qualitative interviews for 15 female administrators, one focus group discussions (FGDs) and a cross-sectional survey of 117 female administrators. Given the scarcity of gender collaborative approaches appropriate for women administrators as compared to men (UNESCO, 2015; Thomson et al ., 2022; Schiller et al ., 2024) particularly in Africa (Scoular and Otieno, 2024), a qualitative inductive approach was essential in the first phase of the study. The study started with qualitative interviews, insights from which informed the development of scale items for the questionnaire to measure the constructs in the SIT (Appendix 2).…”