Week 5 Discussion 2Virtual Organizations

Describe the evolution of the virtual organization. What are the pros and cons associated with this design? Provide examples of three technological devices/concepts that have had the greatest impact on virtual organizations.

SAMPLE RESPONSE FROM A FORMER STUDENTDescribe the evolution of the virtual organization.

The evolution of virtual organizations stems from the evolution and continued development of technology, which allows business to get done at any time from almost anywhere.  Author Donald Baack addresses this progressions as he talks about virtual organizations and boundaryless organizations when he states, “Both take advantage of the internet and other digital technologies to conduct business operations using adapted for of organizational structure” (Baack, 2012).  With new technology, virtual teams and organizations can work together without face-to-face meetings while accomplishing their tasks with various forms of email, text messaging, computer networks, telephones, videoconferencing, and more.

What are the pros and cons associated with this design? 

The pros of a virtual environment are the opportunity to avoid the daily stress of a commute to work.  Working in a virtual environment could also help you avoid the interruptions of people walking into your cubicle or office, thus leading to greater production.  A virtual setting could also help reduce the corporate overhead cost associated with leasing office space.  Another pro of this environment would be the opportunity to hire quality employees that could perform from anywhere in the country, if not the world.

The cons of a virtual environment, for some people, could be too much independence leading an employee to be ineffective or fail to complete their work in a timely manner.  For some, a con could be the lack of face-to-face human interaction on a daily basis.  Along the lines of face-to-face contact, it could be more difficult to build a team that blends, communicates and works well together.

Provide examples of three technological devices/concepts that have had the greatest impact on virtual organizations.

The first three devices that come to mind are devices I use almost every day such as a computer, mobile phone, and web conferencing.  Having a mobile smart phone allows me to access a wide range of applications such as email and texting that allow me to work from my car, my home, or other places I happen to be.  Another device that has an impact on being virtual is the computer laptop and now tablet solutions.  I remember learning to type on an electric typewriter in high school and now I see my children learning to type on computers in grade school.  The single most important solution that I have seen in my lifetime is the development of the computer.  This device has single handedly changed the opportunity to complete detailed work most anywhere.  Another piece of technology for virtual organizations would be a web conferencing service.  In situations that call for a group to connect in order to hear the same message or complete a project, the ability to share information over web conferencing can eliminate costly travel and increase time spent for job completion.

References

Baack, D. (2012). Organizational behavior. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.