Key factors driving metaverse-enabled entrepreneurship: causal relationship and hierarchical structure using the DEMATEL- TAISM method

Key factors driving metaverse-enabled entrepreneurship: causal relationship and hierarchical structure using the DEMATEL- TAISM method | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Key factors driving metaverse-enabled entrepreneurship: causal relationship and hierarchical structure using the DEMATEL- TAISM method Yuyang Wang, Guateng Liow, Tin Fah Chung, Eik Den Yeoh This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8337708/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Research background: Various factors have contributed to the increase in unemployment and underemployment of graduates. In this metaverse era, the government is actively promoting entrepreneurship and innovation. Can college graduates reap the benefits of the metaverse and tap into its exponential business potential? By leveraging technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), artificial intelligence (AI), and blockchain, the metaverse creates a digital space that bridges the virtual and physical worlds compared to entrepreneurship in physical space. This environment offers diverse opportunities in virtual commerce, real estate, events, training, tourism, social platforms, remote work, and gaming. Purpose: This study attempts to address the issues of transitioning to the metaverse among college graduates in China. As they represent the new breed of metaverse entrepreneurs, we explore the factors that can impact metaverse-enabled entrepreneurship and establish a ranking using a hierarchical deviation model. Methodology and Findings: A myriad of key factors in the complex and interconnected system were screened and summarized from macro-meso-micro level based on literature collection, focus groups interviews, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), Delphi method and employing a DEMATEL-TAISM linkage approach to identify and construct an explanatory structural model to reflect the interlinking of key factors and structures affecting the metaverse-enabled entrepreneurship while also determining and examining their inter-relationships. The findings reveal 17 key factors classified into 6-hierarchy typology diagram (Down-type and Up-type adversarial interpretative structural models). Originality: This study marks a pioneering effort in academic research, being the first to meticulously investigate the importance, interrelationships, and hierarchical deviations of influencing factors within metaverse-enabled entrepreneurship in China. Additionally, it introduces the innovative DEMATEL-TAISM method to this burgeoning field, representing a significant contribution to the scholarly discourse on the subject. Metaverse-enabled Entrepreneurship MCDM DEMATEL-TAISM College graduate Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8337708","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":584391513,"identity":"facaa0ab-614b-42c2-b57f-b3f1d285275c","order_by":0,"name":"Yuyang Wang","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA4ElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYJADxgcJpGphNiBZC5sEUcoMbuQYfi74xZDYP7v9WsWDGgZ5/gbmZw8IaDGWntnHkDjjzpmyGwnHGAxnHGAzNyCgxUCat4cht+FGTtqNBDYGxg0MPPhdCLLlN0jLfKCWgoR/DPbEaDGT5vnBkLvhRvoxhsQ2hkSCWiTPPCuz5m2QqN94I4dZIrFPInnGYTYzvFr4jidvvs3zx8ZY7kb6w48/vtnY9rc3P8OrReEAhwEDYxtIDQ8onIAMZnzqgUC+gf0BA8MfEBPEGAWjYBSMglGABQAAgOVJs9GUOk8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Institute of Automation","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yuyang","middleName":"","lastName":"Wang","suffix":""},{"id":584391514,"identity":"4f2646a0-f548-4cec-b448-051aed2956cc","order_by":1,"name":"Guateng Liow","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Shandong Xiehe University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Guateng","middleName":"","lastName":"Liow","suffix":""},{"id":584391515,"identity":"8b769753-ffcd-4172-9cb9-436658549954","order_by":2,"name":"Tin Fah Chung","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"HELP University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Tin","middleName":"Fah","lastName":"Chung","suffix":""},{"id":584391516,"identity":"89786afb-2e7d-4ad1-8974-aabbdafb93ab","order_by":3,"name":"Eik Den Yeoh","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Malaya","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Eik","middleName":"Den","lastName":"Yeoh","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-12-11 14:25:03","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8337708/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8337708/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":105708524,"identity":"ce742587-ce05-45b4-b279-fa530999cb11","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-30 07:28:58","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":858130,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscriptv2.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8337708/v1_covered_c887531d-9852-421c-a591-9d8aa4a9427d.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Key factors driving metaverse-enabled entrepreneurship: causal relationship and hierarchical structure using the DEMATEL- TAISM method","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Metaverse-enabled Entrepreneurship, MCDM, DEMATEL-TAISM, College graduate","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8337708/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8337708/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResearch background:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e \u003c/em\u003eVarious factors have contributed to the increase in unemployment and underemployment of graduates. In this metaverse era, the government is actively promoting entrepreneurship and innovation. Can college graduates reap the benefits of the metaverse and tap into its exponential business potential? By leveraging technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), artificial intelligence (AI), and blockchain, the metaverse creates a digital space that bridges the virtual and physical worlds compared to entrepreneurship in physical space. This environment offers diverse opportunities in virtual commerce, real estate, events, training, tourism, social platforms, remote work, and gaming.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePurpose:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e \u003c/em\u003eThis study attempts to address the issues of transitioning to the metaverse among college graduates in China. As they represent the new breed of metaverse entrepreneurs, we explore the factors that can impact metaverse-enabled entrepreneurship and establish a ranking using a hierarchical deviation model.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethodology and Findings:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e A myriad of key factors in the complex and interconnected system were screened and summarized from macro-meso-micro level based on literature collection, focus groups interviews, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), Delphi method and employing a DEMATEL-TAISM linkage approach to identify and construct an explanatory structural model to reflect the interlinking of key factors and structures affecting the metaverse-enabled entrepreneurship while also determining and examining their inter-relationships. 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