Advisory services in the virtual world: an empowerment perspective

Abstract

The virtual world is growing in popularity and incorporates many state-of-the-art technologies. In particular, many new applications are currently being explored by public and private organisations in these virtual environments. This study examines the interesting phenomenon of providing virtual advisors to assist users in accomplishing their tasks in the virtual world. The advisory areas under discussion include commerce, health (physical and mental), academia, ethics and travel. Then a systematic framework is developed to reveal the best practices in the provision of virtual advisors, eliciting thought-provoking discussions of the current status and future trends in the use of virtual advisors in the virtual world.