Talent By Edward Lawler

Very good reading. I think the human capital - centric, high involvement organization is the answer to most of my questions for an ideal organization for talented people in the software industry. 

I appreciate every part of this book.

For example - some striking points..  

-  a stable group of employees who are committed for long term, involved in a mutually beneficial relationship 

   with the employers, 

- control is important - not based on rules and regulations, but based on values and shared commitment. 

- training and retraining as and when technologies change and nature of work changes, 

- a reward system where the person's worth is determined by the skills, knowledge and competencies, not  

   by the tag of the "job" he is holding....

Reference:

Talent: Making People Your Competitive Advantage 

IS Professional In A Virtual Organization

Probing the impact of a virtual organization [1] on working Information Systems Professionals and their skills provides some interesting insights into professional behavior as follows.

IS professional
- self organizes by paving his/her own learning path based on goals and objectives of the virtual organization, self evaluates from time to time and self adjusts according to the transitions and trends of the virtual organization.

- resolves issues with independent research and analysis transparent to time zones and geographic locations, self adjusts and balances work life situations in a virtual organization (several products help balance work life situations [2])

- communicates and uses several tools (usually self discovered) and techniques to get the message across (Multi-Instant Messaging with colleagues in order to keep up with the items requiring attention!).

Certain intangible traits such as enthusiasm, inspiration, humility and pride are self evaluated and balanced with techniques unique to oneself from time to time (Some emoticons do come in handy for those who need help here). Trust can be monitored with the help of web analytics. I am not aware of inter-personal relationship tools if there are any.

Some points to ponder:

What could be the ideal virtual organization culture for valued outcomes from the people and processes?

Does the intangibile nature of the organization influence both amateur and matured professionals similarly?

What is the role of a mentor in a virtual organization? How do amateurs learn and unlearn?

What is the role of a "traditional organization" in the context of "virtual organization" and "self organized" professional?

References:
1.
"Virtual Organization is a collection of business units in which people and work processes from the business units interact intensively in order to perform work which benefits all" (Porter, 1990. Competitive Advantage of Nations. New York: Free Press).

2. For example, many Fortune 500 companies choose Xylo online products to help employees balance responsibilities at work and at home.

Working In A Virtual Organization

A "Virtual Organization is a collection of business units in which people and work processes from the business units interact intensively in order to perform work which benefits all" (Porter, 1990. Competitive Advantage of Nations. New York: Free Press).

The maturity and convergence of computer and communication technologies has enabled the virtual organization flourish. It is certain that Information Technologies can widen the sharing, distribution of information in real time in a virtual organization. The cost savings may be a subject for debate.

Virtual organizations allow benefits such as flexibility in work schedules, facilitation of open communication channels, partnerships to share based on trust and mutual interests.

Issues such as undefined/ unclear work processes, improper and faulty management techniques and expectations, work among people who are distantly located and have never met before, lack of training in the work methods, technical incomptence and dependence are just a few among the inconveniences that can be experienced while working in a virtual organization. These issues cannot be ignored and treated as a matter of adjustment to change.
Such inconveniences lead to worker dissatisfaction and organizational failure if not managed with care and attention to the issues.

People working in a virtual organization are expected to be independent, competent and committed workers.

Technology exposes inefficiencies in processes quicker. For example, the supervisor's e-mail delay to "OK and go forward" becomes the only obstacle often in such environments(consider Business process management, workflow technologies for example in a loan processing scenario).

Expectations are set high for speed, accuracy and efficiency. Hence the mass appeal.

Every computer user today has the potential of yesterday's IS professional. Creating a Virtual organization and competing is a click away!

Reference:

Reinventing Business Organizations: The Information Culture Framework by Dr. Mohammed Naved Khan, Feza Tabassum Azmi (Singapore Management Review, Volume 27 No 2)