Discriminant validity.

In the digital era, the integration of technology within business processes is pivotal for organizational efficiency. This study investigates the impact of IT characteristics-specifically IT representation, IT reach, and monitoring capability-on the virtualizability of business processes, utilizing the frameworks of Embodied Social Presence Theory (ESPT) and Process Virtualization Theory (PVT). Our objective is to explore how these IT characteristics, through the mediation of embodied co-presence, enhance business process virtualizability in the context of collaborative tools. Addressing a gap in existing literature, we propose that beyond facilitating virtualization, IT characteristics deeply influence virtual processes by integrating human-centric experiences of co-presence. To examine this, we analyzed data from 311 Korean employees with remote work experience during the COVID-19 pandemic using Smart-PLS 4. Our findings indicate that IT representation and IT reach significantly contribute to business process virtualizability, mediated by embodied co-presence. Surprisingly, monitoring capability did not significantly affect either embodied co-presence or process virtualizability, challenging initial assumptions. This study bridges ESPT and PVT to offer new insights into the roles of IT characteristics in process virtualization, highlighting the importance of human-centric IT design. The results provide valuable guidance for businesses and developers of collaborative tools, underscoring the need to enhance virtual work environments through technology that fosters a sense of presence and collaboration.

在数字时代，技术融入商业流程对于提升组织效率至关重要。本研究旨在探讨信息技术特征——尤其是信息技术表征、信息技术影响范围和监控能力——对商业流程虚拟化的影响，并运用具身社会临场感理论（Embodied Social Presence Theory，ESPT）和流程虚拟化理论（Process Virtualization Theory，PVT）作为分析框架。我们的目标是探究这些信息技术特征如何通过具身共在的中介作用，在协作工具的背景下提升商业流程的虚拟化程度。针对现有文献中的研究空白，我们提出，信息技术特征不仅促进了虚拟化，而且通过整合以人为中心的共在体验，对虚拟流程产生了深远的影响。为了验证这一观点，我们采用Smart-PLS 4软件分析了311名在COVID-19疫情期间拥有远程工作经验的韩国员工的数据。研究发现，信息技术表征和信息技术影响范围对商业流程的虚拟化有显著的贡献，这种贡献是通过具身共在的中介作用实现的。令人惊讶的是，监控能力并未对具身共在或流程虚拟化产生显著影响，这挑战了初始的假设。本研究将ESPT与PVT相结合，为信息技术特征在流程虚拟化中的作用提供了新的见解，强调了以人为中心的信息技术设计的重要性。研究结果为企业和协作工具的开发者提供了宝贵的指导，强调了通过促进临场感和协作的技术来提升虚拟工作环境的需求。