Abbreviations
DOS – Disk Operating System
PCs - Personal Computers
Introduction
General information about virtual experience
According to Ross, Donnelly, & Dobreva (2003), technology has led to a lot of development in the area of digital forum regarding the culture heritage.
Institutions should address the issue of cultural heritage in relation to the visual world because it assists in shaping the future technologically focused cultural economy. Videos, pictures or virtual tours have dominated the business environment where every organization strives to advertise their products and services using the present technology. Appreciation is to the information management sector that makes use of computer science knowledge in ensuring information reaches the targeted group in the perfect manner. Virtual is incorporated in everyday life social activities (Castells, 2001).
History of Virtual world
The advancement from the old ways of blue DOS computer screen to the present day made of various color graphics-intensive is an unknown phenomenon in the virtual world. The first virtual system was developed way back in 1990 where people used low class computers in developing virtual web pages. The virtual environment must incorporate internet and computers in all business process. Through this customers are in a position to advance virtually while looking for products or services. The virtual world developed from old school since 1990s to the modern advanced systems that are fast and more efficient. In the beginning of the virtual systems, the virtual work used immersive methods with an online community whereby avatars presented users. After its development, the modern virtual world is presented with a 3-d interface (Sadler, 2010; Mak, 1999).
Importance of virtual world in the cultural sector and activities
The virtual experience in the cultural sector was introduced in order to change from the traditional ways of carrying put business operations. The modern enterprise virtual environment is designed to use the modern technology in developing culture industry’s standard database. The information systems run the virtual environment through providing users with necessary support (Green, 2001). Moreover, virtual experience plays can play a significant role in the culture sector and activities in an appropriate way. It can be used in documenting various historical works and presenting them in a more modernized and attractive way (Jones, 2003). Traditional operational methods have failed to accommodate the present world adequately bearing in mind its complexity (Voss, 1996). The tremendous changes, stiff competition, and explosion of information science are a clear indication that management should be combined with the present era of virtual structures (Murphy, 2012).
Background
The emergence of World Wide Web has improved the usage of social media the culture sector has improved in terms of digital divine in public participation. However, the cultural sector still fears technology could interfere with its history leading to diminished personal level of customer services, disorientation of culture and beliefs, and making culture industry result oriented that would affect its reputation (prthroughthelookingglass, 2012). Introduction of technologies like internet has led to emergence of virtual offices, the virtual companies, and virtual teams. These products have proven to be very effective and efficient although closer look is necessary in monitoring their operations. The introduction of new science approach has resulted into a clear understanding of the issues on management, organization design, leadership, control of management operations, and culture vision and adaptation (Ndubisi, 2009; Earley, 2002).
Cultural management practices and the virtual world
Before the emergence of industrial revolution people used traditional management tools that were inefficient and costly. The present business world has developed different management tools that help in achieving better business returns. According to Benhabib (2002), globalization and present of various business opportunities through improved communication systems has created virtual structures in different organizations and sectors. Economic development recognizes the norms and social values that culture uses in exchange of goods and services together with the property rules and rights used by buyers and sellers of goods in markets (DiStefano and Maznevski, 2000). The importance of culture component in the present society has created many controversies in the social sciences. Culture affects the economic behavior of a society that requires a more advanced and presentable way of presenting the culture sector. Culture is likely to be well presented in the virtual world because it possesses a functional dimension that creates knowledge that better adapts to the environment and its control (Addison, 2000).
Problem description
As discussed above culture has a lot of significance in a country economic growth. Interfering with culture deprives its meaning making it useless. On the other hand, the world is growing at an alarming rate requiring all operations to adopt the technological world. The cultural sector experiences convergence processes in various aspects of its operations. Cultural portals need to be viewed as material that contributes to the World Wide Web network. Culture sector need to be presented in a manner that more people will be attracted to it even if they do not get the physical contact. Introducing virtual systems in the culture sector will improve some culture events that are very in important tourist attraction (Hinds and Weisband, 2003).
The people expectations
Most people have adopted the modern information system methods of carrying out different operations. Most people make use of internet as a means of acquiring things and in communication. People expect to have a social media network channel where they can access different blogs posts about cultural artifacts and their exhibitions. In addition, different people have different cultural events. Individual would wish to travel into various locations and attend their cultural events. Through incorporating virtual technology, people are in a better position to follow these events through their PCs, phones or tablets via internet connection. There are many cultural events that could be presented in the virtual world. Some of the most known events are; theatre concerts, trade shows, and cultural festivals.
Benefits of adopting virtual experience in culture sector
Virtual culture experience has the following benefits. First, organizations are able to adopt these techniques and use them in achieving their goals. Organizations interact and engage with donors through the use of social media (Holden, 2007; Raghuram, Garud and Wiesenfeld, 1998). For example, the San Diego Zoo made use of social media and virtual world in engaging different visitors all over the world at the Zoo and online. The Zoo has also received many donations from well wishers, which has helped improve their services. Second, virtual world creates a way of engaging the public and gathering their views on certain cultures. For example, in the Egyptian Museum each artifact is accompanied by the original blog post and comments about the artifact. People who visit these artifacts use their codes to make write comments about the exhibition. These comments assist the management in improving their services to attract more viewers either through physical visits or online (Benkler, 2006; Khalife, 2007).
Aim of the Thesis
The main aim of this thesis is to analyze the effect of introducing virtual experience in the culture sector. The specific aims are:
1. To determine the benefits associated with use of virtual technology in the culture sector.
2. To analyze culture events likely to utilize virtual structures.
3. To determine the effective use of computer information systems in the culture sector.
Research questions
The thesis will be guided by the following questions:
1. What are the benefits of introducing virtual experience in the culture sector?
2. What is the role of social media in improving the productivity of a business?
3. What are the people’s views and expectations about virtual world on the cultural sector?
Methodological Approach
The research methodology will focus on virtual presentation of cultural institutions and their services websites. Internet has a diverse content that is relevant for the local communities and foreign visitors, which influences the presentation in these culture centers (Abrahamson, 2001). This research will focus on presentation of culture content, public culture organizations, and other cultural institutions through the internet using the virtual world. The selection of area of focus will involve determining the most proffered cultural events by a large group of people. This selection will be carried out from the questionnaires that will be administered to the selected sample target group. The sample group selection criteria will be based on the size and number of cultural infrastructure available in a given region. In addition, the selected group should consist of computer literate individual who have access to internet. After determining cultural events, a survey will be conducted on the effect of introducing virtual experience in the culture organization. The research will be conducted through interviews and questionnaires to the target population.
References
Abrahamson, D. (2001). ‘An Evaluation Bibliography: Digital Culture, Information
Technology, the Internet, the Web’, Journal of Magazine and New Media Research,
3 (1).
Addison, A. C. (2000). ‘Emerging trends in virtual heritage’; Journal of IEEE MultiMedia; 7(2),
pp. 22-25
Benhabib, S. (2002). The Claims of Culture. Equality and Diversity in the Global Era.
Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Benkler, Y. (2006). The Wealth of Networks: how social production transforms markets and
Freedom, New Haven and London, Yale University Press, p. 515
Castells, M. (2001). The Internet Galaxy: Reflections on the Internet, Business, and
Society, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
DiStefano, J. and Maznevski, M. (2000). ‘Creating Value with Diverse Teams in Global
Management’, Organizational Dynamics, 29, pp. 45–65.
Earley, P. C. (2002). ‘Redefining Interactions across Cultures and Organizations: Moving
Forward with Cultural Intelligence’, Research in Organizational Behavior, 24, pp. 271–99.
Green, N. (2001). ‘How everyday life became virtual: mundane work at the juncture of
Production and consumption’: Journal of Consumer Culture. 1 (1), pp. 76
Hinds, P. J. and Weisband, S. P. (2003). ‘Knowledge Sharing and Shared Understandings in
Virtual Teams’, in C.B. Gibson and S.G. Cohen (eds) Virtual Teams that Work: Creating Conditions for Virtual Team Effectiveness, pp. 59–86. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Holden, J. (2007). Logging On. Culture, participation and the web. London: Demos, p. 89
Jones, S. (2003). Virtual Culture: Identity and Communication in Cybersociety. London: Sage
Publications
Khalife, K. (2007). How To Turn Travelers Into Visitors: Low-cost tourism marketing
strategies for museums and other cultural institutions. Retrieved from:
http://www.museummarketingtips.com/articles/turn.html
Mak, B. (1999). Balancing Cultural Heritage, Conservation and Tourism Development in a
Sustainable Manner. International Conference: Heritage and Tourism, Hong Kong, unpublished
Murphy, J. J. (2012). Virtual Management - a New Business Organization Paradigm. Retrieved
from:
http://www.calumcoburn.co.uk/articles/virtual-management/
Ndubisi, N. O. (2009). Journal of Enterprise and Information Management. Bradford: Emerald
Group. pp. 120-125
Prthroughthelookingglass. (2012). Social(izing) Media in Cultural Sector: brilliant or affront?
Retrieved from:
http://prthroughthelookingglass.wordpress.com/2012/07/15/socializing-media-in-the-cultural-sector-brilliant-or-affront-18-2/
Raghuram, S., Garud, R, and Wiesenfeld, B. M. (1998). Telework: Managing Distances in a
Connected World. Strategy and Business. Retrieved from:
Available: http://www.strategy-business.com/briefs/98113/.
Ross, S., Donnelly, M. & Dobreva, M. (2003). New Technologies for the Culture and Scientific
Heritage Sector: DigiCULT Technology Watch Report, Australia: European commission.
Sadler, R. (2010). Background on Virtual Worlds. Retrieved from:
http://sl4calico.pbworks.com/w/page/5099140/Background%20on%20Virtual%20Worlds
Voss, H. (1996). Virtual Organizations: The Future is Now; Journal of strategy and Leadership,
24(4), pp. 12-16.
