In search of the enterprise of the future

The purpose of this paper is to begin the process of identifying the attributes which characterize the enterprise of the future (EOF). An initial list of attributes which organizations will need to exhibit in order to compete in a flat world is presented. A formal definition of the EOF is also included.

The list of attributes was generated as a collaborative effort by members of the Enterprise of the Future Roundtable, and the EOF online community of knowledge management thought leaders and researchers.

The group concluded that the attributes which define a model EOF can be grouped into the previously validated four pillars of knowledge management: leadership, organization, learning, and technology. Although the underlying premise for the four pillars remains the same, recent research into the EOF has yielded new insights regarding the internal makeup of these pillars.

Twentieth century enterprise models are already proving inadequate for responding to the problems and issues of the knowledge era. The list of attributes developed here will serve as a guide to seek out and identify organizations which serve as illustrations of model EOF behaviors. The goal is to use the combined list of attributes and examples as a guide for helping organizations transform themselves into high‐performance, knowledge‐based organizations.