VO Breeding Environments Value System and Metrics

Abstract

The concept of virtual organization breeding environment (VBE) has emerged as the necessary context for effective creation of dynamic virtual organizations (Afsarmanesh & Camarinha-Matos, 2005). One important element to be considered during the VBE operation life-cycle stage is value generation. A virtual breeding environment is a “value network” that should create different types of values such as goods, services, revenue, knowledge, and/or intangible benefits (Allee, 2000). Aimed to achieve the identification of values generated in a breeding environment, the present article reports research issues related to the definition of the VBE value system and metrics. The VBE value system presented in this article will include the identification of the value generation objects (or capitals) in a virtual breeding environment and its performance measurement system, involving not only financial value generation objects but also the intellectual value generation objects (such as human capital, structure capital, innovation and learning capital, relational capital, and identity capital). Along with the VBE performance measurement system, the identification of potential incentives and sanctions are also described. Additionally, the identification of VBE ethical values are also studied through the definition of its culture and ethical code.