메타버스 창업지원시설이 창업기업의 네트워크에 미치는 영향: 사회적 응집력 분석

In contrast to business incubator models that have remained static since 1956, technological advancements and disease outbreaks have transformed how startups utilize these facilities. This study examines whether networks can be effectively activated within metaverse business incubators through remote work environments. The study uses the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) model as a theoretical framework. It analyses changes before and after using the Metaverse. It focuses on the core subcomponents of social cohesion: isolation, communication, presence, and belonging. Surveys were administered to startups implementing remote work before and after using metaverse business incubators. Data were analyzed using Cronbach's alpha reliability test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results demonstrated very high reliability in measuring the four sub-elements of social cohesion (Cronbach's α>0.9). While metaverse offices' impact on addressing isolation among startup members remains unclear, these virtual spaces significantly enhanced communication, presence, and belonging. Consequently, metaverse environments positively influenced network building and activation among business incubator members. This study offers five implications, most notably that: (1) business incubators derive their significance from spatial support provision rather than merely offering physical space; and (2) indirect intervention by incubators is necessary to facilitate informal networks. These findings suggest metaverse-based incubators represent a viable solution to network formation challenges in contemporary startup ecosystems, particularly in contexts where physical co-presence is limited.