Working from the Metaverse: A Distraction Management Perspective
Julian Marx, Milad Mirbabaie, Jonas Rieskamp
Abstract
The innovative potential of the Metaverse for knowledge work has mostly been explored in terms of its ability to enhance remote collaboration. However, this paper takes a distraction management perspective and presents findings from a qualitative study where knowledge workers performed solo tasks using an immersive Metaverse application. We posit that knowledge workers can proactively shield themselves from common distractions in collaborative, private, or public spaces by clearly separating their virtual workplace from their physical environment. However, Metaverse applications may also introduce new sources of distraction, requiring knowledge workers to be aware of and able to customize technology affordances to optimize work outcomes. These findings inform a theoretical model of virtual workplace distraction management, emphasizing that we should harness its potential to augment, transform, or replace conventional work environments rather than recreating traditional corporate offices in the Metaverse and their common distractions.