Virtual organizations in the public sector : a new approach

Public and private organizations are becoming increasingly involved in alliances and partnerships. In this collaborative scenario, a new approach to the planning in organizations must be developed, paying special attention to the public sector, in which the scarcity of resources may be totally or partially supplied by the creation or improvement of networks between organizations and systems. The new approach to the organizational coordination may result in some sort of "virtual organization", as it is occurring in the private sector. The article highlights the importance of reflection about the implications and possibilities that the concepts related to virtual organizations may bring to the interorganizational coordination in the context of governmental planning. In doing so, it aims to contribute to the improvement in the effectiveness of the governmental action by the development of a cooperative informational environment. Aspects such as organizational culture, power and control, boundaries and organizational structures must be observed, should the concept of virtual organization is to evolve to be applied in the public sector as well.