Virtual Organization: An Extensive Overview

Virtual Organization (VO) has become a type of organization apt for the new global economy, which requires around the clock and long-distance management. More recently, considerable literature has emerged that attempts to demarcate VO from so called traditional organization. So far, however, there has been little discussion on what constitutes VO. This paper provides conceptual foundations for a better understanding of VO. The paper identifies key parameters on which VO design differ from another non-VO form. The paper also presents a process model of VO that elucidates how a non-VO evolves into a VO.