OpenLetter

Open Letter No. 2

NEW IJF: A VIRTUAL ORGANIZATION ?

An OPEN LETTER "Can Vienna be the Headquarters of the International Jazz Federation again?" - published in February 1st, 2006 ignited international jazz community to a tremendous response. We are publishing over 70-ty comments on the IJF new website:

www.InternationalJazzFederation.org

More comments are coming and published daily. The main topics are related to: Function and site of the Headquarters, Founding, How Musicians can Benefit, and Communication of Members.

There are problems to answer questions of over 400 new members, and more coming. Do we need to have a specific physical place for the organization to find the information members need as well as the means to process it. But what if we no longer had to go to this place to contact the people or get the information? Instead all this could be done electronically and members and everyone else would do their work from any location.

In that case we can take the few steps to a create a virtual organization.

There is more to virtual organizations then simply replacing the location where people meet. It removes many barriers - especially that of time and location. It emphasizes on new services, festivals, concert producers, clubs, recordings, etc

IJF-VO can be flexible in: *** the arrangements of members who are loose and goal oriented, *** emphasizes the use of knowledge to create new opportunities for booking jazz performers, recordings, how to get publicity and other services, ... *** the processes can change quickly by suggestions of the members.

Here are the few steps to a virtual IJF Virtual Organization? 1. open IJF web site; 2. click Open Letter; 3. click Comments; 4. click Register (new visitors); 5. click Add your Comment; 6. Submit.

Virtual Team roles are defined as needed and people are chosen to fill the roles depending on their expertise.

Virtual Work Experts from anywhere can be called to contribute to a project whenever expertise is needed. Virtual shops can quickly change with different vendors becoming part of the virtual shopping center. The entire organization can be virtual.

In all cases virtual implies: Continually changing membership of participants, Self-management within teams and units,

Why virtual? What are the reasons for organizations becoming virtual? -- Growing trends to include global customers, -- Creation of communities of excellence, -- Creation specialized pools related to recordings, distribution, booking, expert resources and other services.

Working electronically. In a virtual organization all places of work would be through communication using computer workspaces. One can go from electronic workplace to workplace to see the activities that are taking place in the organization. A number of people can structure electronic workspace networks to establish the relationships needed to function as an organization.

How to structure electronic workspaces? Workplace (for example festival organization) can easily grow and evolve with the virtual organization. To do this they should support the organization's mission by developing and using information consistanently with the mission.

What do you think? Please share with all your comments.
Don't stay behind.

Jan Byrczek
InternationalJazzFederation.com