Forced to go virtual? Distributed cooperation of small software firms

Annika Schönauer, null; Ruth Kasper, null; Jörg Flecker, null; Ursula Holtgrewe, null

doi:10.13169/workorgalaboglob.7.1.0063

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Work Organisation, Labour and Globalisation

Volume 7, Issue 1

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Forced to go virtual? Distributed cooperation of small software firms

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Author(s): Annika Schönauer , Ruth Kasper , Jörg Flecker , Ursula Holtgrewe

Publication date (Print): Summer 2013

Journal: Work Organisation, Labour and Globalisation

Publisher: Pluto Journals

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Abstract

Within the service sector, the software industry has been among the prime movers in the process of offshoring work to new destinations. This is facilitated by the immaterial character of the products and their components and by the industry's inclination to use new technical opportunities for its own purposes as well. This paper investigates practices of virtual cooperation and team work in small and start-up software companies based in Austria. Evidence indicates that because of their niche strategies and the related conditions of their national context, these companies often depend on international cooperation which, in turn, often takes on a ‘virtual’ form.

Content

Author and article information

Journal

Journal ID (doi): 10.13169

Journal ID (publisher-id): workorgalaboglob

Title: Work Organisation, Labour and Globalisation

Publisher: Pluto Journals

ISSN (Print): 1745641X

ISSN (Electronic): 17456428

Publication date (Print): Summer 2013

Volume: 7

Issue: 1

Pages: 63-75

Article

Publisher ID: workorgalaboglob.7.1.0063

DOI: 10.13169/workorgalaboglob.7.1.0063

SO-VID: f2d9a6d8-07de-42a7-8be3-b921b59ac0e5

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All content is freely available without charge to users or their institutions. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles in this journal without asking prior permission of the publisher or the author. Articles published in the journal are distributed under a http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

History

ScienceOpen disciplines: Sociology,Labor law,Political science,Labor & Demographic economics,Political economics

References

Andrews, C. K., C. D Lair & B. Landry (2005) ‘The labor process in software startups: Production on a virtual assembly line?’, R. Barrett (ed), Management, Labour Process and Software Development: Reality Bytes , London & New York: Routledge.
Barrett, R. & S. Mayson (ed) (2008) ‘Introduction: at the intersection of entrepreneurship and human resource management’, International Handbook of Entrepreneurship and HRM . Cheltenham: Edward Elgar:1–17.
Boocock, G., K. Danielas, K., J. Glover & J. Holland (2008) ‘Daily learning, job design and problem solving in SMEs’ International Handbook of Entrepreneurship and HRM . Cheltenham: Edward Elgar:398–419.
Dubé, L. & D. Robey (2009) ‘Surviving the paradoxes of virtual teamwork’, Information Systems Journal , 19 (1):3–30.
Eurofound (2012) Born global: The potential of job creation in new international businesses . Luxembourg: Publication Office of the European Union. Accessed on April 1^st, 2013 from: http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/pubdocs/2012/65/en/1/EF1265EN.pdf
Feuerstein, P. (2013) ‘Patterns of Work Reorganization in the Course of the IT Industry's Internationalization’ Competition and Change , 17 (1):24–40
Flecker, J., J. Rainer & T. Riesenecker-Caba (2007) ‘Verteilte Software-Entwicklung. Auf dem Weg zu Best Practice in einem interdisziplinären Forschungsprojekt,’ REFA-Nachrichten 5.
Flecker, J. & P. Meil (2010) ‘Organisational restructuring and emerging service value chains – implications for work and employment’, Work, Employment and Society , 24 (4):1–19.
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Flecker, J., B. Haidinger & A. Schönauer (2013) ‘Divide and Serve: The Labour Process in Service Value Chains and Networks’, Competition and Change , 17(1):6–23.
Fuchs-Kittowski, F. & P. Reuter (2002) ‘E-Collaboration für wissensintensive Dienstleistungen’, Information Management & Consulting 17:64–71.
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Hermann, C. & J. Flecker (2009) ‘Das “Modell Österreich' im Wandel’ C Hermann, & R. Atzmüller (eds) Die Dynamik des ‘österreichischen Modells’ – Brüche und Kontinuitäten im Beschäftigungs- und Sozialsystem , Berlin: edition sigma.
Hansen, M.T., N. Nohria & T. Tierney (1999) ‘Wie managen Sie das Wissen in ihrem Unternehmen?’ Harvard Business Manager 21 (5):85–96.
Holmlund, M., S. Kock & V. Vanyushyn (2007) ‘Small and Medium-sized Enterprises' Internationalization and the Influence of Importing on Exporting’, International Small Business Journal , 25 (5):459–477.
Holtgrewe, U. (2008) ‘Restructuring of value chains in software development: Some dialectics of knowledge and control– Findings from the WORKS project’, R. Anderl, B. Arich-Gerz & R. Schmiede (2008) Technologies of globalization , Darmstadt: Technical University of Darmstadt:131–147.
Holtgrewe, U. (2012) ‘Internetorganisationen’, M. Apelt & V. Tacke (eds.) Handbuch Organisationstypen , Wiesbaden:VS Springer:381–400.
Huws, U. (ed) (2003a) When Work Takes Flight: Research Results from the EMERGENCE Project , IES Report 397. Brighton: Institute for Employment Studies.
Huws, U. (2003b) The making of a Cybertariat: virtual work in a real world , New York: Monthly Review Press.
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Knight, G.A. & S. T. Cavusgil (2004) ‘Innovation, organizational capabilities, and the born-global firm’ Journal of International Business Studies 35:124–141. Accessed on April 1, 2013 from: http://secure.com.sg/courses/ICI/Grab/Reading_Articles/L13_A02_Knight.pdf.
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Polanyi, M. (1967) The tacit dimension , New York: Anchor Books.
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Ramioul, M. (2012) The map is not the territory. The role of knowledge in spatial restructuring processes , doctoral thesis, Catholic University of Leuven.
Rittel, H. & M. M. Webber (1984) ‘Planning problems are wicked problems’, N. Cross (ed) Developments in Design Methodology , New York: John Wiley & Sons:135–144.
Sass, M. & M. Fifekova. (2011) ‘Offshoring and outsourcing business services to Central and Eastern Europe. Some empirical and conceptual considerations’, European Planning Studies , 19(9):1593–1609.
Zoche, P. & M. Joisten (2005) ‘Technische Unterstützung sozialer Interaktion am Arbeitsplatz virtueller Unternehmen’ A. Kirschbichler & P. Zoche (eds) Virtuelle Unternehmenskooperation zwischen Struktur und Offenheit – Ansatzpunkte zur innovativen Arbeitsgestaltung , Vienna: Frauenhofer IRB Verlag.

Comments

Comment on this article

[1] Andrews, C. K., C. D Lair & B. Landry (2005) ‘The labor process in software startups: Production on a virtual assembly line?’, R. Barrett (ed), Management, Labour Process and Software Development: Reality Bytes , London & New York: Routledge.

[2] Barrett, R. & S. Mayson (ed) (2008) ‘Introduction: at the intersection of entrepreneurship and human resource management’, International Handbook of Entrepreneurship and HRM . Cheltenham: Edward Elgar:1–17.

[3] Boocock, G., K. Danielas, K., J. Glover & J. Holland (2008) ‘Daily learning, job design and problem solving in SMEs’ International Handbook of Entrepreneurship and HRM . Cheltenham: Edward Elgar:398–419.

[4] Dubé, L. & D. Robey (2009) ‘Surviving the paradoxes of virtual teamwork’, Information Systems Journal , 19 (1):3–30.

[5] Eurofound (2012) Born global: The potential of job creation in new international businesses . Luxembourg: Publication Office of the European Union. Accessed on April 1^st, 2013 from: http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/pubdocs/2012/65/en/1/EF1265EN.pdf

[6] Feuerstein, P. (2013) ‘Patterns of Work Reorganization in the Course of the IT Industry's Internationalization’ Competition and Change , 17 (1):24–40

[7] Flecker, J., J. Rainer & T. Riesenecker-Caba (2007) ‘Verteilte Software-Entwicklung. Auf dem Weg zu Best Practice in einem interdisziplinären Forschungsprojekt,’ REFA-Nachrichten 5.

[8] Flecker, J. & P. Meil (2010) ‘Organisational restructuring and emerging service value chains – implications for work and employment’, Work, Employment and Society , 24 (4):1–19.

[9] Flecker, J. & A. Schönauer (2012) ‘Die Internationalisierung österreichischer IT-Unternehmen – zur Dynamik von Wertschöpfungsketten und Arbeit’, Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft , 38 (3):567–599.

[10] Flecker, J., B. Haidinger & A. Schönauer (2013) ‘Divide and Serve: The Labour Process in Service Value Chains and Networks’, Competition and Change , 17(1):6–23.

[11] Fuchs-Kittowski, F. & P. Reuter (2002) ‘E-Collaboration für wissensintensive Dienstleistungen’, Information Management & Consulting 17:64–71.

[12] Gereffi, G., J. Humphrey, J. & T. Sturgeon (2005) ‘The governance of global value chains’, Review of International Political Economy , 12 (1):78–104.

[13] Hermann, C. & J. Flecker (2009) ‘Das “Modell Österreich' im Wandel’ C Hermann, & R. Atzmüller (eds) Die Dynamik des ‘österreichischen Modells’ – Brüche und Kontinuitäten im Beschäftigungs- und Sozialsystem , Berlin: edition sigma.

[14] Hansen, M.T., N. Nohria & T. Tierney (1999) ‘Wie managen Sie das Wissen in ihrem Unternehmen?’ Harvard Business Manager 21 (5):85–96.

[15] Holmlund, M., S. Kock & V. Vanyushyn (2007) ‘Small and Medium-sized Enterprises' Internationalization and the Influence of Importing on Exporting’, International Small Business Journal , 25 (5):459–477.

[16] Holtgrewe, U. (2008) ‘Restructuring of value chains in software development: Some dialectics of knowledge and control– Findings from the WORKS project’, R. Anderl, B. Arich-Gerz & R. Schmiede (2008) Technologies of globalization , Darmstadt: Technical University of Darmstadt:131–147.

[17] Holtgrewe, U. (2012) ‘Internetorganisationen’, M. Apelt & V. Tacke (eds.) Handbuch Organisationstypen , Wiesbaden:VS Springer:381–400.

[18] Huws, U. (ed) (2003a) When Work Takes Flight: Research Results from the EMERGENCE Project , IES Report 397. Brighton: Institute for Employment Studies.

[19] Huws, U. (2003b) The making of a Cybertariat: virtual work in a real world , New York: Monthly Review Press.

[20] Huws, U., S. Dahlmann, J. Flecker, U. Holtgrewe, A. Schönauer, M. Ramioul, M. & K. Guerts (2009) Value chain restructuring in Europe in a global economy , Leuven: HIVA.

[21] Knight, G.A. & S. T. Cavusgil (2004) ‘Innovation, organizational capabilities, and the born-global firm’ Journal of International Business Studies 35:124–141. Accessed on April 1, 2013 from: http://secure.com.sg/courses/ICI/Grab/Reading_Articles/L13_A02_Knight.pdf.

[22] Kudina, A., G. Yip & H. Barkema (2008) ‘Born global’, Business Strategy Review , Winter:38–44. Accessed on April 1, 2013 from: http://bsr.london.edu/lbs-article/166/index.html

[23] Mayer-Ahuja, N. (2011) Grenzen der Homogenisierung. IT-Arbeit zwischen ortsgebundener Regulierung und transnationaler Unternehmensstrategie , Frankfurt: Campus.

[24] Noher, H. (2001) Wissen wird zum Fokus betrieblicher Managements . Fachhochschule Stuttgart, Arbeitspapiere Wissensmanagement, 4.

[25] Polanyi, M. (1967) The tacit dimension , New York: Anchor Books.

[26] Powell, W. (2001) ‘The capitalist firm in the 21st century: emerging patterns in western enterprises’, P. Di Maggio, P. (ed) The twenty-first-century firm. Changing economic organization in international perspective , New Jersey: Princeton University Press.

[27] Ramioul, M. (2012) The map is not the territory. The role of knowledge in spatial restructuring processes , doctoral thesis, Catholic University of Leuven.

[28] Rittel, H. & M. M. Webber (1984) ‘Planning problems are wicked problems’, N. Cross (ed) Developments in Design Methodology , New York: John Wiley & Sons:135–144.

[29] Sass, M. & M. Fifekova. (2011) ‘Offshoring and outsourcing business services to Central and Eastern Europe. Some empirical and conceptual considerations’, European Planning Studies , 19(9):1593–1609.

[30] Zoche, P. & M. Joisten (2005) ‘Technische Unterstützung sozialer Interaktion am Arbeitsplatz virtueller Unternehmen’ A. Kirschbichler & P. Zoche (eds) Virtuelle Unternehmenskooperation zwischen Struktur und Offenheit – Ansatzpunkte zur innovativen Arbeitsgestaltung , Vienna: Frauenhofer IRB Verlag.