Getting the virtual work contract done—practicalities and organizational dynamics
✍ Scribed by Shirley Chan
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 2002
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 65 KB
- Volume
- 28
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0745-7790
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
I nformation technology has redefined many facets of our human society. One of these is the way we work. The increasing use of computers, e-mail, mobile phones, and other communication devices has resulted in the popular deployment of virtual work. Virtual work involves two or more people working and communicating in cyberspace using information and communication technologies. In light of our increasingly globalized economy, very often virtual workers are located in different parts of the world. Virtual work therefore cuts across the traditional boundaries of time and space, maximizing opportunities of international trade and commerce.
Traditional forms of work involve team members meeting face to face and working in the same geographical location and time zone. Virtual work is different from conventional work in terms of the "invisibility" involved-virtual team members do not see each other and may not have even met. Intangibility brings along a higher degree of uncertainty. Many questions may come to mind when deciding whether we should work virtually: Would team members perform up to standard? How about communication breakdown? How do we resolve disputes when we are miles away?
Apart from technological means and managerial strategies, one of the ways that businesses and organizations handle such uncertainty in virtual work environments is by entering into virtual work contracts that are legally binding. These contracts include provisions addressing various issues arising from such uncertainty, such as work responsibilities, performance standards, communication protocol, and dispute resolution. Experience tells us that preparing a contract involving cross-organizational, crosscultural, and cross-jurisdictional parties could take more time and effort than we expect. There are many cyberspace practicalities