Accounting realism in the metaverse: a socio-psychological lens on CSR integration and ethical decision-making

Authors

  • Samuel Ejiro Uwhejevwe-Togbolo Department of Accounting, Dennis Osadebay University, Asaba, Delta State-Nigeria Author
  • Annmarie Nkemejina Okoli Department of Sociology, Dennis Osadebay University, Asaba, Delta State-Nigeria Author
  • Ajueyitse Martins Otuedon Department of Business Education, College of Education, Warri, Delta State-Nigeria Author
  • Victoria Omenebele Kaizar Department of Psychology, Dennis Osadebay University, Asaba, Delta State-Nigeria Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56294/digi2025251

Keywords:

Metaverse, Accounting, Realism, Corporate Social Responsibility, Ethics

Abstract

The tension that realism in accounting in the Metaverse faces is deep philosophical and practical: it is the limit between simulation and reality. In order to bridge the gap associated with the study, the study attempts to reduce the gap by considering accounting realism in the Metaverse: A socio-psychological lens on corporate social responsibility (CSR) integration and ethical decision-making, and how users understand financial accountability, internalise CSR values and make moral choices in avatar-mediated communication. The study acknowledges that accounting realism will need to adjust to the changing Metaverse to embody the economic substance of simulated transactions. These necessitate reviewing conventional models in order to allow the inclusion of digital phenomena without subjecting financial reporting to compromise. In spite of the transformative power, digital CSR is grappling with a collection of operational and ethical issues that cast doubts on its credibility and usefulness. The study concluded that Realism in accounting, association with the Metaverse and the use of socio-psychological approaches to CSR and ethical determinants are part of an important development in organisational governance. It was recommended that international accounting committees like the IASB and FASB, to begin with, ought to liaise with one another to design universal reporting mechanisms and virtual audit methods to be used in recording digital assets. 

References

1. Pandey, D., & Gilmour, P. Accounting meets metaverse: navigating the intersection between the real and virtual worlds. Journal of Financial Reporting and Accounting, 2024, 22(2), 211–226. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFRA-03-2023-0157

2. Uwhejevwe-Togbolo, S.E., Ighosewe, F.E., & Ubogu, F.E. Accounting firm performance and the metaverse realism in Nigeria. Metaverse Basic and Applied Research, 2024a, 3, 69. https://doi.org/10.56294/mr202469

3. Uwhejevwe-Togbolo, S.E., Ajueyitse, M.O., Okoli, A.N., Kaizar, V.O., Efanimjor, P., & Ubogu, F.E. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the Metaverse: Enhancing Community Engagement for Nigerian Firms. Gamification and Augmented Reality, 2025a, 3(2). https://doi.org/10.56294/gr2025263

4. Lee, M., Lin, K.Z., & Kim, S.H. Does the experience of using Metaverse affect the relationship between social identity, psychological ownership, and engagement? Proceedings of the 57th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, 2023. https://hdl.handle.net/10125/106699

5. Nguyen, T., Pham, H., & Doan, M. Ethical responsibility and sustainability in the Metaverse: A business model perspective. Sustainability, 2021 14(23), 15805. https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/23/15805

6. Uwhejevwe-Togbolo, S.E., Orjinta, C.M. & Okoli, P. Corporate social responsibility and tax aggressiveness amidst subsidy removal amongst listed firms in Nigeria. International Journal of Academic Accounting, Finance & Management Research, 2023a, 7,8, Pages: 9-16.

7. Uwhejevwe-Togbolo, S.E., Ubogu, F.E. & Okoli, P.C. Corporate governance and timeliness of financial reports of selected listed Nigerian firms: A Quantile Regression Method. International Journal of Academic Accounting, Finance & Management Research, 2023b, 7,7, Pages, 13-21.

8. IFRS Foundation. Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting, 2021. IFRS.org

9. Jader, A.Z. The Metaverse and the role of accounting culture: Reporting of digital assets according to international standards 2024. In Beyond Reality: Navigating the power of Metaverse and its applications (pp. 190–211). Springer.

10. Knubley, R. Reliability in accounting: IASB staff paper. IASB agenda Ref 10H 2014. IFRS.org

11. Deloitte. Accounting Spotlight: The Metaverse: Accounting Considerations Related to NFTs 2022. Deloitte DART

12. Neel, M., & Safdar, I. Financial statement relevance, representational faithfulness, and comparability. Review of quantitative finance and accounting, 2023 62, 309–339. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11156-023-01205-9

13. FASB. Statement of financial accounting concepts No. 8: Conceptual framework for financial reporting. Financial Accounting Standards Board, 2018.

14. Uwhejevwe-Togbolo, S.E., Elugom, F.E.F., & Ofomaja, N.I. Ethical use of data in the Metaverse for corporate social responsibility. Metaverse Basic and Applied Research, 2024b, 3, 61.

15. Uwhejevwe-Togbolo, S.E., Ajueyitse, M.O., Okoli, A.N., Kaizar, V.O., Efanimjor, P., & Ubogu, F.E. (2025). Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the Metaverse: Enhancing Community Engagement for Nigerian Firms. Gamification and Augmented Reality, 2025b, 3. https://doi.org/10.56294/gr2025263

16. Chopova, T., Ellemers, N., & Sinelnikova, E. Morality matters: social psychological perspectives on CSR communications and stakeholder support. Journal of Sustainable Business, 2024, 9(10). https://jcsr.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40991-024-00088-w

17. Singh Kharwar, S., & Meena, R.S. CSR in the Digital Age: Leveraging Technology for Social Good. Banaras Hindu University, 2024. JETIR Journal

18. Zhang, J., Ma, Y., Lyu, B., & Tsai, F. Consumer Perspectives on Virtual Corporate Social Responsibility Co-creation. Journal of the Knowledge Economy, 2024. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13132-024-02321-0

19. Ye, W., & Yu, Y. How to Motivate Users to Continuously Participate in Virtual CSR Co-creation. EAI Endorsed Transactions on Industrial Networks and Intelligent Systems, 2022. https://eudl.eu/pdf/10.4108/eai.9-12-2022.2327580

20. Freeman, G., & Maloney, D. (2020). Body, Avatar, and Me: The Presentation and Perception of Self in Social Virtual Reality. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 2020, 4(CSCW3), Article 239. https://doi.org/10.1145/3432938

21. Maloney, D., & Freeman, G. Social Virtual Reality: Ethical Considerations and Future Directions, 2021. arXiv preprint. https://arxiv.org/pdf/2104.05030

22. Meng, J., Wang, X., Xie, M., Hao, Z., Yang, J., & Liu, Y. Ethical leadership and TMT decision-making of corporate social responsibility – a perspective of self-determination theory. Frontiers in Psychology, 2023, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1268091

23. Loor Oña, B. N. (2025). Enhancing Effective Social and Ethical Interactions of Communications in Metaverse Through Generative AI. In Emerging Research in Intelligent Systems 2025, pp. 546–558. Springer. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-87704-9_38

24. Peslak, A.R. Ethics and Social Responsibility in Information Systems. Journal of Business Ethics, 2025, 62(1), 75-87.

25. van der Merwe, J., & Al Achkar, Z. Data Responsibility, CSR, and Corporate Digital Responsibility. Data & Policy, 2022, 4, e12. https://doi.org/10.1017/dap.2022.2

26. Francis, K., Fadda, M.A., & Strippoli, A. Data protection as a corporate social responsibility, 2023. Edward Elgar Publishing.

27. Jaiswal, S. Greenwashing and the Ethics of CSR. International Journal for Multidisciplinary Research, 2024, 5(5), 27029. IJFMR

28. Zervoudi, E.K., Moschos, N., & Christopoulos, A.G. From CSR to ESG: Greenwashing Phenomenon. Sustainability, 2025, 17(5), 2222. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17052222

29. Ioannou, I., Kassinis, G., & Papagiannakis, G. (2022). How Greenwashing Affects the Bottom Line. Harvard Business Review. HBR

30. Delmas, M.A., & Burbano, V.C. (2011). The Drivers of Greenwashing. California Management Review, 2011, 54(1), 64–87.

31. Al-Gnbri, M.K.A. Accounting and Auditing in the Metaverse World from a Virtual Reality Perspective. Journal of Metaverse, 2022, 2(1), 29–41. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/2404096

32. De Roeck, K., & Farooq, O. (2018). Corporate Social Responsibility and Ethical Leadership: Investigating Their Interactive Effect on Employees’ Socially Responsible Behaviors. Journal of Business Ethics, 2018, 151(4), 923–939. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-017-3656-6.

Downloads

Published

2025-08-27

Issue

Section

Original

How to Cite

1.
Uwhejevwe-Togbolo SE, Nkemejina Okoli A, Otuedon AM, Omenebele Kaizar V. Accounting realism in the metaverse: a socio-psychological lens on CSR integration and ethical decision-making. Diginomics [Internet]. 2025 Aug. 27 [cited 2025 Sep. 4];4:251. Available from: https://digi.ageditor.ar/index.php/digi/article/view/251