Does gender, age, or seniority influence the satisfaction with Virtual Reality training and its success in the financial sector?

Main Article Content

Belén Díaz Díaz
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7421-4085
Rebeca García-Ramos
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6844-0190
Sandro Arrufat Martín
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3104-4765

Abstract

Purpose: Virtual Reality (VR) is increasingly used in corporate training because of its immersive potential. However, evidence regarding the influence of demographic variables on training effectiveness and satisfaction remains inconclusive. This study examines whether gender, age, and seniority affect learning outcomes and user satisfaction in VR training within the financial sector. Methodology: The study involved 249 employees from a financial institution who completed a 30-minute VR training session on insurance management. Training effectiveness was assessed through performance tests, while satisfaction was measured using a five-point Likert scale. Kruskal–Wallis tests and multiple regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the influence of personal and contextual variables. Results: Gender and age did not significantly affect training performance or satisfaction. In contrast, seniority showed a negative relationship with performance, indicating that more experienced employees achieved lower scores. Training duration and gender were not significant predictors of outcomes. Overall satisfaction with the VR experience was high across all groups, with only minor differences related to office type and location. Conclusions: VR training appears to be equally effective and satisfactory regardless of gender or age. However, the negative association between seniority and performance may reflect greater resistance or adaptation difficulties among more experienced employees. These findings support inclusive VR training strategies focused on technological adaptation rather than demographic segmentation.

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Section

ST1. INTERACTIVE AND IMMERSIVE COMMUNICATION

Author Biographies

Belén Díaz Díaz, University of Cantabria

Ph.D. in Finance, Associate Professor of Finance at the University of Cantabria (Spain) and Academic Director at Santander Financial Institute (SANFI). Previously, she has been Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration and Director of Campus and Social Development at the University of Cantabria. She has been visiting researcher at the University of California in Berkeley, the London School of Economics, the University of Technology in Sydney, and at different universities in Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Argentina and Morocco. Professor Díaz is author of several papers about CSR, Corporate Governance, banking and corporate finance in academic journals and books. The quality of her research was recognized with the "Sanchis Alcover Award”, awarded by the Scientific Association of Economy and Management in 2006. Since 1996, she has written several reports and developed more than 50 R&D projects about different financial and economic issues commissioned by different public and private entities.

Rebeca García-Ramos, University of Cantabria

Associate Professor of Finance in the Universidad de Cantabria (Spain) and Researcher of the Santander Financial Institute (SANFI). She is Graduate in Economics and Doctor of Business Administration by the University of Cantabria (UC), with a qualification of Distinction Cum Laude and International Mention. She has been visiting researcher of the Business School of the University of Essex (United Kingdom) the University of Oviedo (Spain) and the University of the Basque Country (Spain). Her researcher activity focuses on the field of Corporate Finance, Corporate Governance, CSR, Family Firms and Gender Diversity, being author of several chapters in books and national and international prestigious scientific journals in her field. She has developed and coordinated several R+D reports about different economic issues requested by both public and private institutions. She is also referee of scientific journals in her field and has been part of various organizer and scientific committees of international conferences. Her research job has been awarded with several recognitions, as the "Jeff Rothstein Award for the Most Creative Paper", granted by the Family Firm Institute (FFI) and Hubler Family Business Consultants, or the “Research Award of the Section of Family Business” granted by the Spanish Scientific Association of Economy and Business Management, among others.

Sandro Arrufat Martín, Rey Juan Carlos University

PhD in Social and Legal Sciences, with a specialization in Communication, from King Juan Carlos University (2021), awarded Cum Laude. He holds a Master’s Degree in Protocol, Communication and Comprehensive Event Management from URJC (2018), a Master’s Degree in Corporate Communication Management from EAE Business School (2017), and a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from the Distance University of Madrid (UDIMA) in 2016.

He has published in scientific journals indexed in databases such as the Arts & Humanities Citation Index (A&HCI) of the Web of Science, Scopus, Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Latindex, and Dialnet. He is also the author of books and book chapters included in the Scholarly Publishers Indicators (SPI). His research interests focus on digital communication management, social media, corporate reputation, public relations, branding, institutional communication, and neuromarketing.

How to Cite

Díaz Díaz, B., García-Ramos, R., & Arrufat Martín, S. (2026). Does gender, age, or seniority influence the satisfaction with Virtual Reality training and its success in the financial sector? Journal ICONO 14, 24(1), e2332. https://doi.org/10.7195/ri14.v24i1.2332

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