Virtual Extended Enterprises, Trusted Agents, Unions, Temp Agencies, Info-expeditors, and The “Bonkers” Business Environment 2001-01-2620

The explosive acceleration in the pace of knowledge creation has fundamentally changed the business environment. This change has been termed the “bonkers” business environment. This new business environment is exceptionally hostile to vertically integrated enterprises, but very conducive to a new type of organization call the Virtually Extended Enterprise (VEE). This ephemeral organizational structure is made up of many, perhaps hundreds, of individual organizations. It requires a cast of new role types for the organizations within it and supporting its lifecycle. This cast includes entrepreneurs, trusted agents, assemblers, info-expeditors, and arbitrators. The changed business environment and the rise of the VEE will provide new sets of opportunities and challenges for main-street, Wall Street, and the Aerospace Industry. It is and will be “an interesting time”––to quote an ancient Chinese curse.