The new economy, new opportunities and new structures

The increase in intangible asset ownership and the importance of capabilities as “assets” has brought a new perspective to the conventional balance sheet and to the valuation of the assets, the business and shareholder value. The rise and demise of the “dot.coms” emphasise the need to reconsider the approach to corporate and shareholder valuation models. It is suggested that the virtual organisation offers the flexibility that organisation design will require if full advantage is to be taken of the emerging opportunities. However, successful virtual organisations require some planning and dedicated management if the success is to be sustained.