Virtual Organization in the Human Mind

Abstract

Virtual organization has been well documented as both a tool for organizations to seek further profitability through the removal of traditional barriers as well as a method to extend the provision of services to clientele in a manner previously achievable by only large, multinational corporations (Markus, 2000). The widespread implementation of information technology and its many applications in modern business have moved the act of management toward a virtual focus, where managers are able to complete tasks through the use of teams in varying physical locations, with members that may or may not be employees of that firm, sharing a wide variety of data and information. With so many companies now employing virtual organization techniques, referring to a company as “virtual” or to its components as possessing “virtuality” lacks the clarity and specificity needed when using these firms as examples for others. The variety of methods through which a firm can achieve virtuality represents a span nearly as wide as the business community itself.