Virtual" is a potent buzzword, freely applied to many situations, with many meanings. In this exploratory study, we develop a more precise understanding of "virtual" to describe changing work environments. Specifically, we propose a framework to classify work environments based on the type of discontinuities involved. Discontinuities are gaps or a lack of coherence in aspects of work. The framework allows us to compare research across different topics and work settings. We use the framework to classify 75 published articles on virtual work environments or earlier, related research streams. We observed that many studies were simultaneously addressing existing or emerging continuities, factors or strategies for overcoming discontinuities. The focus of "virtual" is on changes in the work environment; however, our analysis suggests the need to be equally aware of factors that have not changed and which may become more critical with the introduction of discontinuities.

by The Virtual Design Team (VDT) extends and operationalizes Galbraith’s (1973) information-processing view of organizations. VDT simulates the micro-level information processing, communication and coordination behavior of participants in a project organization and predicts several measures of participant and project-level performance. VDT-1 (Cohen, 1991) and VDT-2 (Christiansen, 1993) modeled project organizations containing actors with perfectly congruent goals engaged in complex but routine engineering design work within static organization structures. VDT-3 extends the VDT-2 work process representation to include measures of activity flexibility, complexity, uncertainty, and interdependence strength. It explicitly models the effects of goal incongruency between agents on their information processing and communication behavior while executing more flexible tasks. These extensions allow VDT to model more flexible organizations executing less routine work processes. VDT thus bridges rigorously between cognitive and social psychological micro-organization theory and sociological and economic macro-organization theory for project teams. VDT-3 has been used to model and simulate the design of two major subsystems of a complex satellite launch vehicle. This case study provides initial evidence that the micro-contingency theory embodied in VDT-3 can be used to predict organizational breakdowns, and to evaluate alternative organizational changes to mitigate

Acknowledgements: The development of NeBIC theory has benefited greatly from the detailed guidance of the editor, associate editor, and reviewers. I also wish to thank research associate Michael Williams and Arvin Sayam for their valuable assistance and healthy debate in maturing the ideas presented here. NeBIC: A Dynamic Capabilities Theory for Assessing Net-enablement We propose the Net-enabled Business Innovation Cycle as an applied dynamic capabilities theory for measuring, predicting, and understanding a firm’s ability to create customer value through the business use of digital networks. The theory incorporates both a variance and process view of netenabled business innovation. It identifies four sequenced constructs: Choosing new IT, Matching with Economic Opportunities, Executing Business Innovation for Growth, and Assessing Customer Value, along with the processes and events that inter-relate them as a cycle. The sequence of these theorized relationships for net-enablement asserts that choosing IT precedes rather than aligns with corporate strategy. The theory offers a logically consistent and falsifiable basis for grounding research programs on metrics of net-enabled business innovation. NeBIC Page 1 1

Most extant knowledge management systems are constrained by their overly rational, static and acontextual view of knowledge. Effectiveness of such systems is constrained by the rapid and discontinuous change that characterizes new organizational environments. The prevailing knowledge management paradigm limits itself by its emphasis on convergence and consensus-oriented processing of information. Strategy experts have underscored that the focus of organizational knowledge management should shift from `prediction of future' [that cannot be computed] to `anticipation of surprise.' Such systems may be enabled by leveraging the divergent interpretations of information based upon the meaning-making capability of human beings. By underscoring the need for synergy between innovation and creativity of humans and the advanced capabilities of new information technologies, this article advances current thinking about knowledge management.

2007, Vol. 50, No. 1, 25–32.

A Dynamic Theory of Organizational Choice A central proposition in organization theory is that discrete organizational forms are matched to environmental conditions, market strategies, or exchange conditions. This paper develops a contrary theoretical proposition. We argue that efficiency may dictate modulating between discrete governance modes (i.e., structural modulation) in response to a stable set of exchange conditions. If governance choices are discrete as much of organization theory argues, then the consequent steady-state functionality delivered by these organizational forms is itself discrete. However, if the desired functionality lies in between the steady-state functionality delivered by two discrete choices, then efficiency gains may be available by modulating between modes. We develop an analytical model of structural modulation and examine factors that influence when modulation is efficiency enhancing as well as the optimal rate of modulation. We conclude that, under certain conditions, structural modulation is efficiency enhancing. Further, contrary to theories that highlight the potentially destructive consequences of inertia on

Technology foresight has received growing attention among those involved in the shaping and implementation of science and technology (S&T) policies. However, although evaluative analyses of foresight exercises have supplied evidence on acclaimed benefits -- such as the generation of futureoriented knowledge and strengthening of collaborative networks -- they also point to challenges in translating foresight results into actions within research and technology development (RTD) organizations. In this paper, we address these challenges by considering the work of the Wireless World Research Forum (WWRF) which has sought to promote the conception, development and diffusion of wireless communication technologies. Specifically, by contrasting this work with well-known government-initiated foresight exercises, we typify so-called explicit, emergent, and embedded foresight activities and explore their interrelationships. Our comparative analysis points to conditions under which policy interventions may not be needed for the emergence of foresight activities that exert a major influence on RTD agendas.

Connectivity, the control parameter in a nonlinear dynamics model of team performance is mathematically linked to the ratio of positivity to negativity (P/N) in team interaction. By knowing the P/N ratio it is possible to run the nonlinear dynamics model that will portray what types of dynamics are possible for a team. These dynamics are of three types: point attractor, limit cycle, and complexor (complex order, or “chaotic ” in the mathematical sense). Low performance teams end up in point attractor dynamics, medium perfomance teams in limit cycle dynamics, and high performance teams in complexor dynamics. Keywords: positivity; connectivity; team performance; nonlinear dynamics Positive organizational scholars have made an explicit call for the use of nonlinear models stating that their field “is especially interested in the nonlinear positive dynamics... that are frequently associated with positive organizational phenomena ” (Cameron, Dutton, & Quinn, 2003, pp. 4-5). This article answers this call by showing how a nonlinear dynamics model, the meta learning (ML) model, developed and validated against empirical time series data of business

The term incident command system (ICS) denotes a particular approach to assembly and control of the highly reliable, temporary organizations employed by many firefighters, police, and other public safety professionals to manage diverse resources at a wide variety of emergency scenes. Our inductive study of a fire department’s use of the ICS identified three main factors enabling this distinctively bureaucratic system to produce remarkably flexible and reliable organizations for complex and volatile task environments. In general, this research suggests the possibility of new organizational forms able to capitalize on the control and efficiency benefits of bureaucracy, while at the same time avoiding or overcoming the considerable tendencies toward inertia that are thought to accompany bureaucratic systems. Recent organization science research indicates that an expanding number of organizations are facing increasingly unforgiving socio-political-economic contexts (cf. D’Aveni, 1994). Operational failures resulting in inappropriate, incomplete, laggardly or otherwise mindless organizational responses to unexpected and demanding environmental contingencies (such as major and unforeseen competitive threats, product malfunctions and recalls, supplier collapses, technology breakdowns, etc.) are ever more likely to be immediately

In this paper, we propose a new model of technology standardization under market uncertainty and show how its value is quantifiable using the theory of real options. Our options-based approach to standardization shows that a rational way to standardize some IT technology in uncertain markets is with correct structure and proper staging of the standard. First, highly modularized standards provide a higher option value because of the ability to pick and choose the best modules to change at a fine granularity. Secondly, a modular structure that promotes easy and non-disruptive parallel experimentation (such as end-2-end applications) enhances the option value by providing a larger field of options from which to select. Lastly, allowing the standard to evolve along with the customers ' expectations of the technology is a good strategy to match standards with uncertain user markets.