Title: Benefits and challenges of knowledge creation in concurrent virtual professional organisation formation and operation

Authors: Erno Salmela; Kyllikki Taipale-Erävala

Addresses: Department of Software Engineering and Information Management, School of Industrial Engineering and Management, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Skinnarilankatu 34, 53850 Lappeenranta, Finland ' Department of Software Engineering and Information Management, School of Industrial Engineering and Management, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Skinnarilankatu 34, 53850 Lappeenranta, Finland

Abstract: The study examines how concurrent virtual professional organisation (VPO) formation and operation affects knowledge creation. Usually virtual organisation formation and operation are discussed as consecutive phases. The phenomenon is studied by a qualitative research approach and a single case study. The studied case is a project preparation (PP), the goal of which is to start a public research project. Knowledge creation plays an important role in PP. As a theoretical contribution, the article presents a dynamic model that connects the concurrent VPO formation and operation phases to knowledge creation. As a practical implication, the study suggests that in an uncertain and hectic environment, concurrent VPO formation and operation may be unnecessary. To manage this kind of a situation successfully, dynamic coordination competencies are needed.

Keywords: knowledge creation; virtual professional organisations; VPO formation; VPO operation; organisational life cycle; concurrent operations; project preparation; case study; virtual organisations.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNVO.2013.063045

International Journal of Networking and Virtual Organisations, 2013 Vol.13 No.3, pp.224 - 244

Received: 04 Oct 2013
Accepted: 14 Apr 2014
Published online: 19 Jul 2014 *

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