اتخاذ مجازی سازی سازمانی در شرکت های B2B: یک مطالعه تجربی در سنگاپور

We empirically tested a parsimonious model that incorporates cost-benefit analysis/transaction cost theory, institutional theory, and organizational capability-based theory to predict organizational adoption of IT-facilitated virtualization in an Asian context. Virtualization implies the use of IT and communication technology by organizations in managing their interactions and key business operations with stakeholders, such as customers, suppliers and employees. Our research extends existing literature by using organizational structure adoption theories. The study should provide insights into the salient adoption issues of Asian firms. A survey was conducted of B2B organizations in Singapore. Results indicated that an increase in the level of net perceived benefits, external influences, and organizational capabilities had a positive effect on organizational decision makers’ intention to use virtualization. In particular, external influences were found to be the most important antecedents of intention to adopt virtualization in B2B organizations in Singapore.

Virtual organizing (VO) or virtualization has been considered as a new paradigm for building competitive advantage [31]. It can be viewed as an organizational design practice that results in flattened organizational structures, larger spans of control, and extensive geographically dispersed work. VO uses IT in organizations to expand their business by improved interaction with stakeholders. To provide flexibility, many organizations have combined core competencies to respond better to specific customer need and preferences. Specific advantages of VOs have been stated to be increased productivity, adaptability, flexibility, agility, and strategic competitiveness [24]. Khalil and Wang [16] noted that VO is increasingly being recognized as an integral part of e-commerce. U.S. Commerce Department reported that the US e-commerce sales sector grew 19% in 2007 to $136.4 billion. The Bitkom industry association reported that the volume of Germany online sales reached €438bn in 2006, 90% of this is from B2B sales; it also predicted that the volume of online sales would reach €781bn by 2010, more than 80% of which would be sales between businesses [28]. Despite many predictions of the fast and broad acceptance of VO and successful cases like Dell Computers, Cisco, Boeing, Coopers & Lybrand, etc., it was not as widely adopted as expected. It has been argued that the present stage of e-commerce involves a much slower embedding of the virtual in the physical [34]. This is particularly true in Asia (ex-Japan) where VO adoption has not been widely reported [33]. Past studies conducted in the West have shown that factors important to organizations that had adopted virtual firm structures included cost reduction [4], IT [19], and trust [11]. However, it is not clear whether such considerations are as important to organizations in Asia. For instance, recent work involving Asian organizations have shown that external institutional forces sometimes influence the adoption decision more than internal organizational considerations [17] and [23]. This might be due to the collectivistic tendencies of Asian businesses. It would thus be useful to identify the factors that influence organizations’ decisions to virtualize in the Asian context. Furthermore, a study of external contingency factors affecting VO adoption in firms is important because firms that are open are more influenced by and respond to external environments [15]. An understanding of virtualization could therefore be achieved by examining both internal and external factors that lead to the intent to be a VO, as a precondition to actual becoming one.

The globalization of organizations facilitated by the advent of telecommunications and Internet technologies has promoted virtual organizing of firms. We empirically examined major antecedents to an organizations’ intent to virtualize, based on several theories. Our investigation of VO adoption provided an important step towards a better understanding of the new IT-enabled business model. Implications may help both institutions and potential adopters. This may also provide useful insights into innovation adoption considerations that are of greater significance than others to Asian firms. Our model and constructs may also provide guidance on adoption of new organizational structures.