The virtual organizing process—A critical tool for enterprise competitiveness in the information era

The term virtual enterprise has generated considerable confusion because of its rather liberal interpretation. This paper argues that the successful establishment of a virtual enterprise is mainly dependent on the virtual organizing processes of an enterprise's strategies ( VOPES), rather than on the actual manifested transformation of the whole into a single virtual organization. A three-dimensional dynamic framework for VOPES is pre­ sented, with the aim of providing a coherent model for positioning the various virtual organizing strategies, and at the same time giving VOPES dynamic tendencies towards market negotiation, co-operation, co-ordination and collaboration. To achieve a com­ petitive advantage, the top management of an enterprise operating in an intense informa­ tion environment can organize their enterprise virtually by using the three-dimensional framework of: virtual customer relationship, virtual outsourcing, and virtual knowledge and expertise. The generic IT architecture of VOPES is also described and discussed. 1 F et al.: The virtual organizing process—A critical tool for enterprise com Published by CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2003 Journal of International Technology & Information Management Volume 12, Number I