Should ‘Virtual’ Mean ‘Vague’? A Plea For More Conceptual Clarity in Researching Virtual Organisations

Around fifteen years ago the concept ‘virtual organisation’ (VO) was coined to describe changes in organisational structures of value creation as a reaction to developments in modern market environments. Since then, the VO as a concept has been used to describe different things in different contexts, so that today we find a rather unsatisfying mix of VO notions in the literature. Moreover, in many articles the VO remains underspecified and vague; sometimes even a mismatch exists between VO definitions provided and examples discussed. Motivated by these observations we carried out a literature analysis to explore differing notions of virtual organisation. The contribution of our study is twofold. First, we identify and describe in conceptual detail three distinct types of VO as the basis for future research endeavours. Second, we point to a need for conceptual clarity in researching VOs in practice, in light of the rather different management challenges of the three identified types

E-Collaboration Systems in Virtual Organizations - Recommednations for Tool Support Based on Genre Analysis

Advances in ICT have led to the proliferation of new organizational forms such as the virtual organization (VO). While ICT is seen as the key enabler of VO, its notion in the literature remains quite generic. Moreover, the VO itself is not well understood with regards to the work practices at the group level. Using a case study approach we investigate a subsidiary of a large multi-national corporation, which resembles the typical structures associated with a VO: a distinction between a long-term pool of competencies and the flexible configuration of geographically dispersed, short-term projects. The contribution of our study is twofold: first, we provide an empirical account of communication practices (and their differences) in VO pool and projects, based on a genre analysis. Second, we discuss appropriate e-collaboration systems to support these communication practices. We conclude with implications for future research

PRESENCE SIGNALLING IN UNIFIED COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS – A FRAMEWORK FOR CUSTOMISATION IN CONTEXT

In this paper we present Unified Communications (UC) as a new class of communication systems, marketed by vendors as a means for integrating communication media and creating presence awareness. Designed as complex infrastructures, UC systems enfold their full potential when being customised to a particular social context. In doing so, the technology allows creating contextspecific presence signalling solutions. The main contribution of this paper is a conceptualisation of the various design questions relevant in the customisation of UC presence signalling aspects. To this end, we present a seven-step process framework as guidance for implementers of UC infrastructures

Supporting Virtual Research Teams - How Social Network Sites Could Contribute To The Emergence Of Necessary Social Capital

Virtual Teams in enterprise contexts have been well researched. However when concerned with scientific research studies often focus on a macro level ignoring the individual perspective of scholars. I report in this paper on observations made in two case studies on research collaboration, one concentrated on a large research network and one on the situated context of IS scholars involved in collaboration. I find that the characteristics of virtual work in enterprise and academic contexts differ notably. Whereas literature on virtual teams in enterprise contexts proclaim a strong need for the support of relational and cognitive Social Capital, in academic contexts rather structural Social Capital seems to be missing. I further propose to consider Social Network Sites as a tool to support research collaboration, as this IT-artefact seems to positively affect the emergence and maintenance of structural Social Capital

Inhibiting Factors for Adopting Enterprise Systems in Networks of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises - An Exploratory Case Study

Effective use of an enterprise system may result in productivity and quality improvements, cost reductions and a better resource management but also bears non-negligible risks. Since enterprise systems usually exhibit a proliferating complexity, many small and medium-sized enterprises fail to pass this hurdle. Therefore, the imperative of this research is to develop an understanding of what inhibits or drives the adoption of enterprise systems in networks of small and medium-sized enterprises. We use an exploratory case study to propose first explanations of the variables and factors that affect the adoption of an enterprise system for such a network

Social Transactions on Social Network Sites: Can Transaction Cost Theory Contribute to a Better Understanding of Internet Social Networking?

Social Network Sites (SNSs) are a success story by example. User counts as well as page visits have rocketed in recent years. In this paper we propose to utilize Transaction Cost Theory (TCT) and Social Capital Theory (SCT) to make sense of what kind of social interaction is executed on SNSs and why. In doing so we will show how TCT can be applied to SNSs by proposing to include in the theory the construct of social transactions. We will describe the characteristics of social transactions on SNSs as being concerned with the management of Social Capital. We will then determine which social transactions are attracted by SNSs. Finally, wwe discuss how research in the field of Internet Social Networking can benefit from this conceptualisation of social transactions and spell out practical implications

Social Capital and ICT Intervention: A Holistic Model of Value

Background: Despite increasing popularity of Social capital, the relationship between social capital and ICT often appears to be an ambivalent one. Existing information systems (IS) literature presented various frameworks and theoretical foundations to facilitate the study of this concept, yet several contradictory findings have been reported indicating a significant knowledge gap in this domain. Current research adopts a holistic approach to address this knowledge gap by answering “How does social capital generate value or benefits in an ICT intervention?” Method: Current research employs a systematic literature review coupled with a grounded theory method to investigate proposed research questions. Results: Primary contributions of the current research include (1) the identification of contextual relationship between contextual factors and social capital dimensions, and (2) development of a holistic model of social capital driven benefits during ICT intervention where the ‘enablers’ and the ‘drivers’ of benefit have been identified. Conclusions: Identification of distinct roles and value-drivers related to social capital will help IS researchers in explaining “how and why” benefits are achieved while employing a social capital lens. Availible at: https://aisel.aisnet.org/pajais/vol11/iss4/3