Organization Studies in the Metaverse: Facing Ontological Reversal
Journal
Academy of Management Proceedings
ISSN
0065-0668
2151-6561
Type
conference paper
Date Issued
2024
Author(s)
Abstract
While it is taken for granted that organizing happens primarily in physical space, we argue that the rise of the Metaverse leads to an ontological reversal, in which digital spaces become the driving force for organizing. Building on this ontological reversal, we discuss how key assumptions in organization studies are challenged in the Metaverse. First, we argue that the absence of physical bodies in the Metaverse loosens the entanglement of mind and body in organizing. Second, we suggest that the impact of physical appearance on actors’ identities is weakened because actors can flexibly select their avatars. Third, actors may not be able to differentiate between humans and bots in the Metaverse, which is possible in the physical world. Fourth, the Metaverse levers out the laws of physics, enabling new forms of generativity. Fifth, we argue that the Metaverse relaxes the pervasiveness of organizational structures for human agency. Taken together, these arguments have substantial implications for how we think about and how we study organizing in the Metaverse.
Refereed
Yes
Volume
2024
Event Title
Academy of Management Conference
Event Location
Chicago
Division(s)