Evaluating organisational readiness for virtual collaboration

(Friedheim, Jr., 1999), clusters (Dearlove, 2001) and relationship enterprises (Walters, 2000). The most recent literature even makes a distinction between the virtual organisation and organisational virtualisation. Breu and Hemingway (2004) claim that previous literature pertaining to virtual organisations focuses on virtualisation addresses the transition from the traditional bricks-and-mortar to a virtual organisation (Boudreau et al., 1998; Dutton, 1999). Additionally, the authors address the problem from two perspectives: inter-organizational and intra-organizational, but few consider the integration of these two forms (Travica, 2005). The authors of this chapter consider this to be a vital distinction and, further, one that should be addressed in this research. Based on a literature review encompassing work from 1986 to 2005, there seems to be one point of commonality: the development of the virtual organisation continues to be a focus of organisations seeking competitive advantage in increasingly global marketplaces. (Travica, 2005; Lundquist, 2004). The common theme seems to be the concept of organisations being compelled to consider their degree of virtuality. Even though there has been a proliferation of terminology, all authors appear to agree that ICT is a prerequisite, facilitator and even the core of the new emerging virtual organisation paradigm (Burn et al., 2002; Franke, 2000); a view supported by Talukder (2003), who believes that the virtual organisation is a non-traditional, interconnected and customer responsive organisation, which mainly operates through ICT in the global market. The virtual organisation forges temporary links among otherwise independent entities that add value to an economic system (such as the supply chain of a large manufacturer). These virtual links arise and dissolve as