Knowledge Governance in Virtual Corporations

Lattemann C, Stieglitz S, Kupke S

Abstract
Today corporations are confronted by a fundamental, sustainable and often rapid change of their economic environment. Amongst others, new opportunities and risks face corporations, the competitive situation changes from local to global markets with a higher degree of competition. As a result, new organizational forms such as strategic alliances, joint ventures, strategic networks, virtual organizations, and other forms of inter-organizational co-operations have emerged. In this new environment, corporate governance has become a pivotal success factor for a sustainable development, and effective management of complex institutional structures, and overcoming environmental changes. This edited volume raises important questions relating to governance in a multi-national environment and is divided in two main parts.The first part of the book discusses ways to govern loosely linked international and transnational collaborations. Issues about the effectiveness and efficacy of “good” standards and ethical behaviours, Corporate Governance, Corporate Social Responsibility and Codes of Conducts are discussed. The second part of this book examines the impacts of the globalization of internal processes and knowledge management in international networks. Innovative approaches to govern these kinds inter-organizational arrangements are presented.