Evaluation of the application of virtual reality for employee training and performance in Nigeria

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the application of virtual reality for employee training and performance in Nigeria. It was carried out with two aims in mind. The first is to evaluate the application of virtual reality training in improving employee training outcomes compared to traditional training methods. The second is to identify the benefits and limitations of using virtual reality in employee training and how it impacts their job performance. Relying on the theoretical frameworks of the cognitive theory of multimedia learning and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the study set out to achieve its aim by using a research instrument as source of primary data. Fifteen questionnaires were sent to participants of the study, which were three companies in Lagos, Nigeria that are into employee training and were accustomed to the use of VR. The study found that the application of VR in Nigeria is not as widely accepted as that of the conventional classroom training method, this is despite the fact that VR is more effective in improving employee training outcomes compared to conventional training. The study also found that the use of VR has the benefits of training employees’ soft skills, building employee confidence, and the capacity to train the employee in complex and dangerous procedures without exposure to hurt or danger. In all, the use of VR can improve employee performance on the job but is limited by major challenges in Nigeria, such as the high cost of acquiring the technology, poor power supply, and inability to adapt VR software for other uses. Despite this, the study opines that these challenges can be mitigated if there is more investment in the technology and if the government advances a policy that will grant incentives to those who are interested in importing and marketing the innovation in Nigeria.