Constructing continuities in virtual work environments: A multiple case study of two firms with differing degrees of virtuality

In this paper, we study how continuities are constructed in virtual work environments by comparing two firms with differing degrees of virtuality. Using Organizational Discontinuity Theory and drawing on a qualitative study of two accounting firms operating in Finland, we observe virtual work discon...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Information systems journal (Oxford, England) England), 2019-03, Vol.29 (2), p.484-513
Main Authors: Asatiani, Aleksandre, Penttinen, Esko
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
boundaries
continuities
discontinuities
Discontinuity
remote work
telecommuting
Virtual corporations
Virtual environments
virtual work
Workflow
Workflow management systems
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Summary:In this paper, we study how continuities are constructed in virtual work environments by comparing two firms with differing degrees of virtuality. Using Organizational Discontinuity Theory and drawing on a qualitative study of two accounting firms operating in Finland, we observe virtual work discontinuities in the two firms and identify constructed continuities. We find that in constructing continuities, virtual organizations need to balance rigid and flexible approaches regarding governance structure, the role of technology, communication management, and workflow management. Our main contributions are an empirical application of Organizational Discontinuity Theory to the comparison of virtual work environments and a set of propositions regarding how firms approach continuity construction in different virtuality contexts.
ISSN:1350-1917
1365-2575
DOI:10.1111/isj.12217