Modern Management: concepts and skills, 14/e

Virtuality

One specific, commonplace type of organizational change being made in modern organizations throughout the world is the trend toward “virtuality.” Because this trend is significant and is expected to grow in use even more in the future, this section focuses on it by defining a virtual organization, discussing degrees of virtuality in organizations, and describing the virtual office.⁴⁷

Defining a Virtual Organization

Overall, a virtual organization has the essence of a traditional organization but lacks some aspect of traditional boundaries and structure.⁴⁸ Virtual organizations are also referred to as network organizations or modular corporations. ⁴⁹ In essence, managers extend beyond traditional boundaries and structure for the good ...