Toward a Definition of the “Network Enterprise” Model

Abstract

The profound and widespread revolution ushered in by the advent of advanced technology, above all the introduction of the personal computer and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in production industries and more generally in all operative institutions, has had far-reaching repercussions on corporate organization. An organizational model shaped by the network concept is becoming increasingly predominant. The descriptive term often used in reference to a network is that of a “Web” – the image is evocative of a spider’s web – spreading out from a coordinating focal point which fulfils the function of corporate governance, with special emphasis on governance of production. To gain further insight into this model, it is helpful to start by examining the underlying nature of an enterprise and its operative functions, both epistemologically and in terms of corporate structure.