The article proposes a way to improve reference models for the management of virtual enterprises. The pattern of management roles is based on enveloping each decision centre into an agent wrapper, using the same tools and algorithms. Using this approach enterprises (organization, networks, virtual enterprises) will have the emergent agent property - the ability to follow objectives, plan, and take timely corrective action in case the plan breaks down. The resulting system has a dynamic, agile structure, where each decisional level (strategic, tactical, operational) may organize and re-organize the lower level according to the changes in objectives, or according to improvements in the capabilities or availability of resources.