【正文】 mal hierarchies and roles. More formalized types of virtual organizations might experience other forms of micropolitical behaviour.7. Implications and future workIn this concluding section, we briefly discuss possible implications for the structure and governance of virtual networks as well as the design of the technology that is used to support virtual cooperation and identify issues for further research in the area.. Implications for research and practiceStructure and governance of virtual networks.Based on the results of our study it is feasible toassume that micropolitical behavior influencesinteraction, munication, and decisionmakingprocesses in virtual networks in a decisive way.Therefore, the way the ‘virtual micropolitics’ areplayed will probably affect the oute, stability, andsuccess of virtual networks. It is an open researchquestion of the future to shed light on thesemechanisms.Our results suggest that different networks developdistinctive ‘organizational’ cultures, in which differentlevels and strategies of micropolitical behavior areaccepted and endorsed. Therefore, we hypothesize thatindividual micropolitical tactics and preferences playa role in the process of being (and staying) amember of a certain network. If virtual networksmanage to convey their ‘micropolitical culture’ theymight be more successful regarding these (self)selection processes, resulting in greater stability andless conflicts within the network. Again, these effectsneed to be clarified in future research.Design and use of technology. The results of our study also show that technology is an important carrier of micropolitical behavior. Therefore, as designers of groupware and other information and munication technology, we should take a closer look on how design decisions facilitate or constrict micropolitical behaviour.For example, showing presence by means ofelectronic munication media is closely related tothe design of awareness features in shared workspaces. Albeit the extensive body ofresearch in the area, it still needs to be investigated .how people purposely use awareness features forinfluence and power.Practical implications. As was stated above, there are numerous implications for the structure and governance of virtual networks that are of equal interest for researchers as well as practitioners. Examples include selecting new members, handling conflicts, devising network rules, assigning roles, or even choosing was stated above, there are numerous implications for the structure and governance of virtual networks that are of equal interest for researchers as well as practitioners. Examples include selecting new members, handling conflicts, devising network rules, assigning roles, or even choosing technology.However, at this early stage of research on micropolitical processes in virtual networks, detailed remendations are hard to make.As a general statementlearning from research on intraorganizational micropolitical processesorganizations are well advised not to ignore or try to restrain informal rules and behavior. Micropolitics is part of the organizational reality that can also have beneficial effects as it unleashes employees creativity and motivation. Likewise, members of virtual networks should accept micropolitical behavior as 39。part of the game39。.Given the negative associations of power, thismight not be an easy task:39。The taboo about power isstill perhaps more profoundly rooted in conscience ofmodern man than the taboo about sex39。.Similarly, prior research has shown that members of virtual networks often try to avoid the issue of petition, which is undoubtedly another reality of interorganizational cooperation.Overing these taboos is a challenge for the organizational development of virtual networks, which might be addressed in consulting processes.. Future workIn our own research, we plan to take a closer look at the associations between technology and virtual micropolitics. Research questions to ask include how different types of media encourage or prove efficient regarding different micropolitical tactics. In doing so, we will especially investigate electronic artifacts and munication patterns in virtual networks.Furthermore, we plan to investigate micropolitical behavior at different stages of cooperation in virtual networks: For example, specific tactics might exist in the initial phases of cooperation (. pretending to possess certain resources) that might bee obsolete or even detrimental later on. Also, the processes of entering and leaving virtual networks will be analyzer with respect to micropolitical behaviour.There are also some hints in our data that actors make use of different tactics depending on their age, gender, and also their professional background or the industry sector they e from. However, our current sample was too small to investigate these differences further. We are currently conducting additional interviews with a revised version of our interview guide to address these issues. We will also account for these variables in future quantitative studies to explore the relation between sociodemographic factors and professional background and micropolitical behaviour.To account for the methodological aspects discussed in section 6, we also plan to conduct plete surveys of all (or at least a great number of) members belonging to a virtual network. To do so, we will apply methods from social network analysis and value network analysis. Starting with the results of the study presented here, we are also currently developing a standardized instrument that can be utilized to obtain parable data on the use, perception, and effects of ‘virtual micropolitics’19 / 19