Virtual Competence: A New Perspective on Individual Knowledge, Skills and Abilities in Virtual Organizations
From Virtual Communities
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[edit] Authors
Yinglei Wang, Richard Ivey School of Business, The University of Western Ontario, Nicole Haggerty, Richard Ivey School of Business, The University of Western Ontario
[edit] Abstract
Organizing and accomplishing virtual work presents both opportunities and challenges. Our review of the literature indicates that an important element of the virtual organization phenomenon - individual knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) to work virtually (Powell, Picoli and Ives, 2004), has not been well studies. Based on Bandura´s (1986) social cognitive theory, we theorize that a better understanding of individuals´ KSAs is a potential avenue for managing the complexity of distributed contexts. In this study, we empirically develop the construct of individual virtual competence within a nomological network to shed light on how individuals develop capacities in daily activities to help them perform in virtual settings. Our current theorization suggests that virtual competence is a critical capability of an individual to work effectively in virtual organizations. We are currently collecting data. Therefore, this research-in-progress presents theory development and hypotheses, along with an outline of our data collection activities. Results of our empirical analysis and our conclusions will be presented at the conference.
[edit] Keywords
Virtual organization, computer mediated communication, virtual competence, self-efficacy
