Date of Conferral

7-9-2026

Date of Award

July 2026

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Management

Advisor

Sheryl Kristensen

Abstract

Construction remains one of the most hazardous industries in the United States, while employer-sponsored training opportunities have declined, raising concerns about safety, workforce readiness, and knowledge transfer. Construction leaders need to understand how workers perceive immersive virtual reality (IVR) amid these challenges as an indicator of persistent safety risks, limited workforce preparedness, and ineffective knowledge transfer. The purpose of this single exploratory case study was to examine construction workers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of IVR in transferring knowledge to enhance job performance. Guided by Kirkpatrick’s four-level model of training evaluation, participants’ perceptions of reaction, learning, behavior, and results were examined. The participants were 12 construction professionals, comprising nine welders and three welding trainers experienced with IVR-based training at a marine engineering and industrial construction services organization in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Data were collected through semistructured interviews. Inductive thematic analysis yielded 10 themes: positive reactions to immersive training, enhanced learning through realism, knowledge transfer to real work settings, improved confidence and performance, implementation barriers, organizational support, safety awareness, gender perspectives, technology adaptation, and long-term training potential. Although the findings were based on participant perceptions rather than objective performance measures, they provide insight into how IVR is experienced in construction settings. The implications for a tangible social impact include the potential for construction leaders to use these strategies to create IVR training that enhances learner engagement, reinforces safety awareness, and promotes inclusive training environments to reduce injury risk.

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