The Cyber-Organisation and the New World of Work: Advocating a twin governance and collaborative intelligence solution to overcome a constant disruptive business context
People need to be willing and able to coexist, live and work side by side with smart machines and cyber-entities, creating collaborative intelligence.
This paper explores the concept of the cyber-organisation and, in particular, the so-called cyber-enterprise and its functionality in a business context that is constantly generating disruption due to rapid technological advances and a shift in the definition of work. The cyber-enterprise is, and will be, operating in this fast-changing context driven by artificial intelligence. We argue that cyber-reality will change the fundamental roles of all stakeholders, be they employees, suppliers, customers, investors, partners, associations or governmental agencies, and will require corresponding changes in the governing bodies of organisations. Today, we are living in a world in transition and transformation(1) . There are three powerful converging megatrends that may explain the shaping of the new world of work: globalisation, digitalisation and creation / destruction. Add to this the rise in cyber-reality, artificial intelligence (AI), global connectivity, as well as hybrid reality, hybrid work and business entity, and, finally, new, disruptive technologies like quantum computing, blockchain, neurotech and robotics, and you will understand that a new form of cyber-organisation is emerging. It is not a luxury; it is a vital necessity in order to survive and sustain business. We propose a new structure of twin boards to deal with this new business environment strategically and operationally.
Beyond contexts related to business, we are also facing global challenges threatening our sheer existence: demographics and global migration; environmental deterioration through global pollution; climate change; asymmetric conflicts and wars. Other contributing factors that are shaping, or will shape, the cyber-enterprise include the emerging new “Intelligent Internet” (including the Internet of Things), combined with machine learning, mobile technology and new technologies encompassing people, artefacts and cyber-entities (CE)1 , which is on the way to becoming the first autonomous cyber-entity existing and acting in hybrid reality.
Beyond digital reality, a new, much-more-potent and disruptive revolution is surfacing: cyber-reality (CR). Cyber-reality is a powerful configuration of elements from digital reality, augmented reality and virtual reality. Together with artificial intelligence (AI), it will lead to a far more radical transformation than anything we have seen before. In fact, digitalisation is just one step, albeit a necessary one, in the transition towards virtual reality (VR). The progress of VR is tightly linked to the development of computer technology and artificial intelligence.
The radical changes in business environments occurring as a result of the rise of cyber reality and advanced AI are causing a totally new design of the enterprise, including structure and governance. We argue that a new form of corporate governance is emerging (or perhaps needed), based on the twinning of more-traditional executive boards with a replica of the coronation in virtual reality.
Adding to this complexity are new forms of higher education which are becoming a core part of cyber-business development. Education has become strategically important and will definitely move to the corporate board level. In a recent paper, we asserted that the design of lifetime education is essential for the Cyber-Age, and it is based on four pillars: learning, research and design, development and deployment(2) .
The new generation joining the workforce and entering the markets is highly “cyber-savvy”. Social and professional life are shifting increasingly into virtual reality. People need to be willing and able to coexist, live and work side by side with smart machines and cyber-entities, creating collaborative intelligence.
To prepare for the big transformation ahead, we need to understand what is happening right now, what is on the horizon, and how and where all this will shape the cyber-organisation and its corresponding governance. Since transformation is already in effect, we wish to alert the readers that there are issues that need to be dealt with immediately (here and now), while other important issues can be left for the future2 .
A large part of the human population lives and works extensively in hybrid reality, composed of
