ABSTRACT
The firm, taken for granted in the conventional economy, appears to have a doubtful future in the information economy. The new technologies that are helping to define this new economy are simultaneously battering the venerable institutions of the old economy-the press, broadcast media, universities, even governments and nations are all under threat. Enthusiasts suggest that no formal organization need or should come between the empowered individual and Marshall McLuhan's amorphous “global village.” So it's not surprising to hear that cyberspace has served notice on the firm that its future, at best, may only be virtual.
