Do Virtual Enterprises Exist?: A Proposed Analysis Model

Abstract

Because of the phenomenal innovations within the field of information and communications technologies during the last decade, companies have been able to reinvent their techniques for selling products and services, reorganise the work process and build strategic partnerships. The use of these technologies has resulted in major spatial and temporal asynchronies. The decompartmentalisation of time and space in organisational activities has given rise to a new kind of organisation that many people refer to as a virtual enterprise. In this article, we propose a different approach. We believe that virtuality is a dimension that exists in all enterprises; consequently, all organisations need to pay particular attention to it. On this basis, we developed an analysis model based on organisational relationships that can be used to assess the degree of virtuality in an enterprise. We believe that this model will help managers to better understand the impacts of virtuality on their organisations and consequently on their management methods.