Virtual Organizations

CONCEPT OF VIRTUAL ORGANISATION

Virtual organization is a form of organization that emerged in 1990. It is also known as network organization, modular organization or digital organization. Simply stated, a virtual organization is a network of corporations made possible by, what is known as information and communication technology (ICT) which is flexible and is created to meet the dynamics of the market. In others word, the virtual organization is a social network in which all the horizontal and vertical boundaries are removed. In this sense, virtual organization is a boundary less organization. It consists of individuals working out of physically dispersed work places, or even individuals working out of mobile devices and not tied to any particular workplace. In the virtual organization, ICT coordinates the activities and combines the skills of workers and resources in order to achieve the common goal. The network of relationships permits contracting, manufacturing, distribution, marketing, and other business functions. A small group of managers oversee directly any activities that are done in house. They coordinate and control external relations with the help of computer network links. Nike, Reebok, Puma, Dell Computers, Hindustan Lever are some of the companies which are working virtually. Thus, a virtual organization is loose web of individuals, capital and technologies which operate without time and space constraints. It operates without a fixed structure and its boundaries keep on changing.

TYPES OF VIRTUAL ORGANISATION

According to the degree of virtuality, there are three types of virtual organizations:

1. TELECOMMUTERS: In telecommuting companies, employers work from their homes. They interact with workspace via personal computers connected with modem to the phone lines. Dow chemicals, Xerox, Coherent Technologies Inc. are some examples of companies using some form of telecommuting.

2. OUTSOURCING EMPLOYEES: These organizations outsource most or all core competencies. Marketing and sales, human resources, finance, research, and development, engineering, manufacturing, information systems, etc. are the areas of outsourcing. Such a virtual organization performs one or two areas of core competence with excellence and other functions are outsourced. For instance, Nike does product design and marketing very well and depends on outsource for information technology as a means for maintaining inter- organizations coordination.

3. COMPLETELY VIRTUAL: This type of virtual organizations is tightly linked to a large network of suppliers, distributors, retailers and customers as well as to strategic and joint venture partners. IBM’S development effort of the PC and Atlanta Committee for the Olympics Games (ACOG) in 1996 are examples of completely virtual organizations.

TECHNOLOGY OF VIRTUAL ORGANISATIONS

Employees in a virtual organization will become emasculate and ineffective in the absence of information and knowledge. Therefore, virtual organizations use a seamless web of electronic communication media. The main components of this web are as follows:

I. TECHNOLOGY- The traditional ways of working has been transformed through new technology. Combination of computing and technology is opening up new possibilities. Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) will create a new revolution to the desktop. The CTI has traditionally been used in call centre applications.

II. E-MAIL INTEGRATION- The whole organization can take advantage of SMS products such as ‘Express Way’ by integrating SMS into the existing e-mail infrastructure.

III. OFFICE SYSTEMS INTEGRATION- SMS technology can greatly enhance the existing or new office systems. For example, phone messages can be sent via SMS rather than returning it in a message book.

IV. VOICE MAIL ALERT- Addition of SMS technology to the existing voice mail systems builds an effective method of receiving voice mail alerts.

V. MOBILE DATA- This enables a laptop to retrieve information anywhere through the mobile phone network. In the past corporate information has been inaccessible from many places where it is needed. One can keep connected to his/her virtual organization from anywhere by linking laptop to mobile phones. Mobile data communications can revolutionise where and how work is done.

Skills you need to succeed

4- A positive attitude

Connected to everything else we have discussed, being positive about work and life is also essential. While your colleagues may laugh at your endless cynicism and misanthropic tendencies, your boss will see you as someone who hates their job and who will never support the aims of the company. We should distinguish between the occasional bad day (although you should always try to minimize this and remain upbeat no matter how trying the circumstances) and being consistently pessimistic. The eternal pessimist will always try to drag other people down and will probably be less productive. If you can cultivate a positive outlook, you will encourage others to be more positive; also, you will be more productive and possibly more credible as someone with executive potential. A positive attitude is entirely self-determined and can be helped by accentuating the positives in any situation. Don’t see problems.

5- Self-presentation

Learning how to present yourself to others is another major aspect of being successful. Good grooming, and in particular, smart attire, will project an image of success to other people -- before you have even said a word. Wearing a well-cut suit, quality shoes and an elegant timepiece speak of a man who takes pride in his appearance. High sartorial standards indicate someone who has high standards generally, and this will cause people to view you favorably. A huge amount of your impact on colleagues, bosses or clients will be based on how well put-together you appear; while substance is crucial, having a great style to support it is no bad thing. Read fashion magazines and think about visiting a hairstylist rather than a barber. If you can afford it, have suits and shoes made to measure; they will fit much better than off-the-rack goods. Don’t forget that the way you look also enhances the way you feel about yourself, making you more confident.

6- Time management skills

It doesn’t matter how well you dress, how positive you are or how well-spoken you are if you cannot keep everything under control. Disorganization means that you will be forever playing catch-up with your work, rushing to meet deadlines and producing work below par. Learn to keep a detailed diary, listing deadlines and setting a schedule for your work, to ensure it is all done with time to spare. Your work will be of better quality and you will be entrusted with increased responsibility. It will also afford you additional leisure time. It is a key element to success and well-worth practicing. This means overcoming procrastination (which we can all be guilty of at times), setting goals that are challenging (but realistic) and trying to use your time efficiently. Don’t check your e-mails 17 times every hour -- spend that time writing up that project that is due tomorrow. Ideally, you will reach a stage when you can get ahead of the curve and start taking on additional projects and responsibilities -- a surefire way of setting yourself up for that promotion.

Skills you need to succeed

Skills you need to succeed

While we all aspire to climb to the top of our respective professions, from time to time we come up against a roadblock, a barrier that slows our climb to the top. Whether you are being consistently overlooked in favor of someone else who is a bit more productive, or perhaps there is just some intangible quality that allows other people to get ahead of you, it can be immensely frustrating to be denied a job you know you could excel in.

With this in mind, we decided to consider the six skills you need to succeed. It is worth noting that all of these skills are transferable and have as much relevance in your personal life as they do in your professional life.

Just as importantly, these are all skills that can be learned, so no one should feel that they are at a disadvantage with any of these. Work on them and you will reap the rewards accordingly.

After reading these six skills you need to succeed, the career ladder will suddenly seem a much easier climb than it did before.

1- Speaking skills

Whether you are hustling for a promotion when you bump into a CEO in an elevator or making an important speech at an international conference, the ability to speak with a wide variety of people is an absolute essential. Good eye contact, a varied vocabulary and the ability to tailor your language to suit your audience are all essential characteristics of an artful speaker. Being a good speaker will give you presence and make you memorable to those who are listening. Practice talking with anyone and everyone you meet, look for a debating society or a Toastmasters group. The rewards are worth it. Being more adept in social situations and being better equipped to network successfully will help you forge working relationships that could be very advantageous to you in the future. It will also be useful to you for performing duties as a best man.

2- Confidence in decision making

Nothing says mediocrity like indecision. A good leader is decisive and will always back himself up when making the correct decision. If you want to be considered leadership material, you have to possess these characteristics. If you are paralyzed by the fear of getting it wrong, you will end up doing nothing, which is worse than trying something and failing. A lot of high fliers are prepared to take risks knowing that a mistake can be corrected. Learn to evaluate different decisions for their pros and cons, and make decisions that will take you closer to completing a given task. The key is to make sure that your decisions are thought-out and reasoned. Be confident in your judgment and believe in yourself to get things right. Don’t just play it safe every time -- you will blend into the wallpaper and no one will notice you. Putting yourself on the line will earn you respect, and if your decisions turn out to be right, you can expect to be rewarded for your efforts.

3- Accountability

Another major part of being successful is accepting responsibility, both for successes and failures. If you want other people to respect you, acknowledge your errors rather than trying to blame someone else for your shortcomings. Everyone makes mistakes, but the real test is how you react to that. Putting yourself in the firing line is the mark of a man who wants to achieve great things and is prepared to be scrutinized. It is a sign of confidence and self-belief, and is a key ingredient among men who want to be successful. Being able to admit you have made a mistake is also a sign of humility and can garner respect from your employees. A useful way to hold yourself accountable is to scrutinize your to-do lists, see what you accomplished and what you did not. Look at ways you can improve your performance and take appropriate steps to correct mistakes yourself.

Management Articles

Myth 3: Your resume must have an objective

“Seeking a position that will be beneficial and mutually rewarding … and will make use of my experience and education ....” If that is your idea of an objective, don’t bother using one. Every inch of resume space is precious. Don’t waste it on generic information that can be found on almost every other resume. Every word, every character that appears on your resume must position you as the perfect candidate for the job.

Of the 5,000+ resumes I have written, I may have used an objective for maybe a handful of candidates. In place of objectives, I often used what many experts call “branding statements” or “headers”. The concept can be explained with the help of an example.

In the case of a clinical researcher, for example, a generic objective would be as follows:

“Seeking a mutually beneficial position that will make use of my 10+ years’ experience in clinical research.”

An improvement would be:

HARVARD-EDUCATED CLINICAL RESEARCHER WITH 10+ YEARS’ PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE

Worked with top five pharmaceutical companies. Leveraged clinical expertise to manage three blockbuster, multi-billion dollar molecules from Phase I to Market.

The generic example does almost nothing to position the candidate but the refined version, in addition to serving as an objective, brings out three to four prominent strengths and an overall value proposition.

Whether you decide to use an objective or a positioning statement, refrain from presenting generic arguments.

Myth 4: Your references must be listed on the resume itself

Normally, a separate page is used as a reference sheet. This not only protects the privacy of your references (imagine posting their contact information on every job board), but also makes the screening professional’s job a little easier.

Myth 5: I can use the same resume for multiple job targets Recipe for disaster. If your current resume focuses on your laboratory background, please don’t send the same resume for marketing positions. It is understandable that you may qualify for multiple positions or be interested in pursuing alternate careers. If so, try to create a customized resume for each job target. When it comes to a resume, never follow the “one size fits all” approach.

Management Articles

TOP 5 RESUME WRITING MYTHS

From screening job applications to conducting interviews, hiring practices have undergone a dramatic transformation over the past decade. Despite all the changes, common resume myths continue to plague job search practices at all levels. The article attempts to debunk some of these myths.

Myth 1: It's all about the number of pages

The one-page rule is probably the most common myth about a resume. Candidates, even senior executives, use microscopic fonts, leave off important information, use 0.1 inch margins, and resort to a myriad of unhealthy practices -- all in an attempt to restrict their resume to just one page.

Many well-meaning college counselors advise their students to be concise and limit their resume to one page. That was important when you were a student with little or no experience, but why subscribe to the same wisdom after rising to the ranks of a senior executive?

There is an opposing viewpoint. Some job seekers mistakenly believe that if they can somehow balloon their resumes to four or five pages, they will probably be considered for higher-paying positions. What? Will someone offer me $250,000 simply because my resume is ten pages and redundant to the point of boredom?

Content rules. The quality of experience should influence the length of the resume, not hearsay. If you have held only one job, then don’t try to create a five-page resume, but if your background merits a lengthier resume then don’t use eight point fonts in a desperate attempt to fit everything on one page.

If you are too concerned about the length of your resume, consider creating a one- or two-page resume with additional pages serving as an appendix or addendum. I have done that for many researchers and academicians. The first few pages focused on their background, while their publications and presentations were presented as an appendix.

Myth 2: Make up that degree -- no one will know

Lying on a resume is the worst mistake a candidate can make. Even if you pass the background check (very unlikely considering how sophisticated background checks have become), a savvy employer will discover the deception within days, if not sooner.

Apart from the legal ramifications, we live in a professional world that is influenced by social media. At the touch of a button, HR managers across the country can discuss their experiences. Maintaining a good reputation is more important than ever.

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