Abstract
The emergence of the virtual network enterprise represents a dynamic response to the crisis of the vertical bureaucracy type of business organisation. However, its key performance criteria—interconnectedness and consistency—pose tremendous challenges as the completion of the distributed tasks of the network must be integrated across the barriers of missing face-to-face clues and cultural differences. The social integration of the virtual network involves the creation of identities of the participating nodes, the building of trust between them, and the sharing of tacit and explicit knowledge among them. The conventional organisation already doing well in these areas seems to have an edge when going virtual. The paper argues that the whole question of management and control must be reconsidered due to the particular circumstances in the ‘Network Society’. The paper outlines a suggestion for an exploratory, socio-technical research approach combining the dimensions of context, subject and action with the twin objectives of contributing to the enhancement of collaborative capabilities in virtual teams as well as improving the insights into the nature of virtual work.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alvesson M (2001) Knowledge work: ambiguity, image and identity. Hum Relat 54 (7):863–886
Alvesson M (2002) Understanding organizational culture. Sages Publications, UK
Argyris C, Schön DA (1978) Organizational learning: a theory of action perspective. Addison-Wesley, US
Athey R (2001) Collaborative knowledge networks. Deloitte Research, NY
Bell, Martin (1997) Technology transfer to transition countries: are there lessons from the experience of the post-war industrializing countries? In: Dyker David A (eds) The technology of transition science and technology policies for transition countries. Central European University Press, Budapest
Blau PM, Scott WR (1962) Formal Organizations. Chandler, San Francisco, US
Castells, Manuel (1996/2000) The information age. economy, society and culture, vol i: the rise of network society. Blackwell Publisher, Oxford
Cunningham JB, Macgregor J (2000) Trust and the design of work: complementary constructs in satisfaction and performance. Hum Relat 53(12):1575–1591
Davenport TH, Prusak L (1998) Working knowledge: how organisations manage what they know. Harward Business School Press, US
Emery FE, Triest EL (1965) The causal texture of organizational environments. Hum Relat 18:21–32
Englehardt S (2002) Creating an organisational space for learning. Learn Organ 9(1):39–47
Fayol H (1949) General and industrial management. Pitman, London
Gann David M, Ammon J Salter (2003) Project baronies: growth and governance in the project-based firm. In: Paper presented at the DRUID summer conference 2003 on creating, sharing and transferring knowledge. The role of geography, institutions and organizations. Copenhagen, Mimeo, 12–14 June 2003
Gilbreth FB (1911) Motion study. Van Nostrand, NY
Gjerding Allan Næs (1998) Technical collaboration as social construction. Some observations on tacit knowledge and shared meanings. In: International business economics working paper series no. 29, Aalborg University, Aalborg
Hall ET (1976) Beyond culture. Anchor Press, US
Handy C (1995) Trust and the virtual organisation. Harward Bus Rev May–June: 40–50
Heiden Kvd, Bradfield R, Burt G, Cains G, Wright G (2002) The sixth sense. accelerating organizational learning with scenarios. Wiley, Chichester
Holst M (2004) Knowledge work across boundaries—inquiring into the processes of creating a shared context. Licentiate Thesis, Luleaa University of Technology
Hughes JA, O’Brien J, Randall D, Rouncefield M, Tolmie P (2001) Some `real’ problems of `virtual’ organization. New Technol Work Employ 16(1):49–64
Jackson MC (2000) System approaches to management. Kluwer, Boston
Jackson MC (2003) Systems thinking: creative holism for managers. Wiley, UK
Jagdev H S, KD Thoben (2001) Anatomy of enterprise collaborations. Prod Plann Control 12:5 437–451
Jarvenpaa SL, Leidner DE (1999) Communication and trust in global virtual teams. http://www.jcmc.huji.ac.il/vol3/issue4/jarvenpaa
Lam, Alice (1998) The social embeddedness of knowledge: problems of knowledge sharing and organisational learning in international high-technology ventures. In: DRUID working paper no. 98-7. Aalborg University, Aalborg
Lam, Alice (2003) Organizational learning in multinationals: R&D networks of Japanese and US MNEs in the UK. J Manage Stud 40(3):673–703
Larson A (1992) Network dyads in entrepreneurial settings: a study of governance of exchange relations. Administrative Sci Q 37:76–104
Lemken B, Kahler H, Ritterbruck M (2000) Sustained knowledge management by organizational culture. In: Proceedings of the 33rd Hawaii international conference on system sciences
Lewicki RJ, Buncker BB (1996) Developing and maintaning trust in working relationships. In: Kramer RM Tylor TR (eds) Trust in organizations: frontiers of theory and research. Thousand Oaks, Sage
Lipnock J, Stamps J (1997) Virtual teams: reading across space, time and organizations with technology. Wiley, NY
Lipparini, Andrea, Luciano Fratocchi (1999) The capabilities of the transnational firm: accessing knowledge and leveraging inter-firm relationships. Eur Manage J 17(6):655–667
Mooney JC, Reiley AP (1931) Onward industry. Harper and Row, NY
Nardi, Bonnie A, Steve Whittaker, Heinrich Schwarz (2002) Networkers and their activity in intensional networks. Comput Support Coop Work 11:205–242
Oechsler WA (2000) Workplace and workforce 2000+—the future of our work environment. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 73(Suppl):28–32. Springer, Hamburg
Parsons T (1951) The social system. Free Press, NY
Pascale R, Athos V (1981) The art of Japanese management. Warner Books, NY
Rasmussen LB (2003a) Facilitation of groups and networks: capabilities to shape creative cooperation. AI Soc 17:307–321
Rasmussen LB (2003 b) Action research toolkit II: the scenario workshop. In: Brandt D (ed) Navigating innovations—Indo-European cross-cultural experiences. India Research Press, New Delhi
Rasmussen LB (2004) Action research: Scandinavian experiences. AI Soc 18:21–43
Rasmussen LB (2002) Identity building in organisations. AI Soc 16:377–394
Rooks, Gerrit, Werner Raub, Robert Selten, Frits Tazelaar (2000) How inter-firm co-operation depends on social embeddedness: a vignette study. Acta Sociol 43(2):123–127
Sapsed J, David G, Nick M, Ammon S (2003) From here to eternity? Challenges of transferring situated knowledge in dispersed organisations. In: Paper presented at the DRUID summer conference 2003 on creating, sharing and transferring knowledge. The role of geography, institutions and organizations. Copenhagen, Mimeo, 12–14 June 2003
Sayle M (1982) The yellow peril and the read haired devils. Harper’s November:23–35
Schein E (1985) Organizational culture and leadership. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco
Smircich L (1983) ‘Leadership’: the management of meaning. J Appl Behav Stud18:257–273
Sieber P, Griese J (1998) Organizational virtualness. In: Proceedings of the nonet-workshop, 27–28 April 1998
Stacey RP (2001) Complex responsive processes in organisations: learning and knowledge creation. Routledge, London
Tange, Nina (2004) Leadership constitutes collaboration in networks. Learn Lab Denmark Q 2/4:04, 19
Taylor FW (1911) Principles of scientific management. Harper & Row, NY
Weisenfeld, Ursula, Olaf Fisscher, Alan Pearson, Klaus Brockhoff (2001) Managing technology as a virtual enterprise. R&D Manage 31(3):323–334
Wenger E (1999) Communities of practice. learning, meaning and identity. Cambridge University Press, US
Zimmerman FO (1997) Structural and management aspects of virtual enterprises.proceedings of the euro conference on virtual enterprises and network solutions -new perspectives on management communication and information technology. Paderbon, Germany, 7–10 April 1997
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rasmussen, L.B., Wangel, A. Work in the virtual enterprise—creating identities, building trust, and sharing knowledge. AI & Soc 21, 184–199 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-005-0029-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-005-0029-y