Virtual Business Culture

As more companies abandon the idea of a brick-and-mortar existence and opt to transform into completely virtual entities, a virtual business culture has emerged. Traditional corporate culture was based on following examples, staying within strict guidelines and rising within the company along clearly shown paths. The virtual business culture has turned that concept on its head, providing a new workforce with an entirely new way of doing business.

Wit and Literacy Matter

In traditional businesses, following dress codes and behavior patterns can be paramount in getting ahead. In the new paradigm, it's the mind that matters. As more companies hire thousands of employees that never set foot in their presence, communication relies heavily on email, Skype and phone calls. It's the employee that gets his opinion across with wit, intelligence and conviction that will get ahead in this environment. Words count and designer clothes don't.

Clocks and Borders

If a business is completely virtual, there is no reason to keep the workforce tied to one geographical place. Managers are free to hire people in any country or time zone, and to use freelancers as well as dedicated workers. With a worldwide company using the internet as the main workspace, clocks and countries become much less important. Business meetings can happen online around the clock and teams can brainstorm during one member's breakfast and another's late night snack.

Rapid Change

Like the internet that spawned it, virtual business changes very rapidly. Managers and workers have to be ready to learn and change at a moment's notice when new policies, apps and software is available. Writers and programmers must devise instant workarounds to unique problems and everyone has to be ready to adapt and adjust multiple times a year.

Intimate and Casual

The formality of the workplace is all but gone in virtual business culture. The fact that any number of people work from their own home or personal office space encourages a feeling of casualness and intimacy. It's rare to find a company where people don't address each other by their first name, and company communications are often in the form of quick emails or instant messages of only a few lines. Formal walls break down very quickly and easily when people work in a virtual environment, and close friendships form very easily.

Lack of Loyalty

The virtual worker is often marked by a lack of loyalty to her employer. With no actual physical workplace, one virtual company can be seen as the same as another. Workers are much freer to change companies when a better offer comes along, and only the top executives in a company are likely to remain employed for any length of time.