Enabling Virtual Enterprises: A Case for Multi-disciplinary Research

The paper begins by defining different kinds of virtual enterprises and the kinds of support needed to make them sustainable. The paper identifies three requirements must be satisfied. These are technology that supports interaction across distance, a favorable organizational culture and the desire to share knowledge. All must be present to result in sustainable virtual organizations. Thus participants in such organizations must be willing to share knowledge, be encouraged to do so by their work environment and have suitable services provided by technologies for this purpose. The paper concludes with some examples of research questions that need to be addressed.