The Pros and Cons of the Evolution of the Virtual Organization
Describe the evolution of the virtual organization. What are the pros and cons associated with this design?
A virtual organization can be defined as, “a geographically distributed organization whose members are bound by a long-term common interest or goal, and who communicate and coordinate their work through information technology” (Baack, 2012, Dimensions of Organizational Structure, 10.2). The advent of technology has paved the way for the existence of virtual organizations. The technological devices/concepts described below and others have made it possible to have remote workers and teams collaborate toward a common organizational purpose. Technology has allowed for information to be decentralized and shared across virtual platforms. From the employee perspective, there are a lot of pros to working in a virtual organization. Employees are able to work from the comfort of their homes and avoid commutes as well as stresses of the traditional office environment. However, employers must worry about a lack of employee supervision and an overreliance on technology. If a technical issue were to arise from e-working stations, there would be bigger losses in productivity. Miscommunication may also be greater with the lack of physical presence.
Provide examples of three technological devices/concepts that have had the greatest impact on virtual organizations
I believe that teleconferencing, Internet, email have had the greatest impact on virtual organizations. Technology such as these has made communication across boundaries more accessible. These methods help eliminate travel/meeting costs and they also save time through the nature of instantaneous interaction. As a result, communication technology allows virtual organizations to collect more complete data in a shorter time frame, which opens up the opportunity to make more informed decisions. Organizations can use mass communication through phone, Internet, and email to share information with a large
A virtual organization can be defined as, “a geographically distributed organization whose members are bound by a long-term common interest or goal, and who communicate and coordinate their work through information technology” (Baack, 2012, Dimensions of Organizational Structure, 10.2). The advent of technology has paved the way for the existence of virtual organizations. The technological devices/concepts described below and others have made it possible to have remote workers and teams collaborate toward a common organizational purpose. Technology has allowed for information to be decentralized and shared across virtual platforms. From the employee perspective, there are a lot of pros to working in a virtual organization. Employees are able to work from the comfort of their homes and avoid commutes as well as stresses of the traditional office environment. However, employers must worry about a lack of employee supervision and an overreliance on technology. If a technical issue were to arise from e-working stations, there would be bigger losses in productivity. Miscommunication may also be greater with the lack of physical presence.
Provide examples of three technological devices/concepts that have had the greatest impact on virtual organizations
I believe that teleconferencing, Internet, email have had the greatest impact on virtual organizations. Technology such as these has made communication across boundaries more accessible. These methods help eliminate travel/meeting costs and they also save time through the nature of instantaneous interaction. As a result, communication technology allows virtual organizations to collect more complete data in a shorter time frame, which opens up the opportunity to make more informed decisions. Organizations can use mass communication through phone, Internet, and email to share information with a large