Tutorial. 7. Communities of Practice

7. Communities of PracticeETL525 Knowledge ManagementTutorial Three19 December 2008K.T. Lamlblkt@ust.hkLast updated: 17 December 2008Learning Organizations• Organizations where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning how to learn together. (Senge 1990)Source: Senge (1990)Learning Organizations (cont.)• Any type of organization can be a learning organization. Characteristics:– Provide continuous learning opportunities– Use learning to reach their goals– Link individual performance with organizational performance– Foster inquiry and dialogue, making it safe for people to share openly and take risks– Embrace creative tension as a source of energy and renewal– Continuously aware of and interact with their environmentSource: Kerka (1995)Learning Organizations (cont.)• The concepts of the learning organization (LO) and knowledge management (KM) can be considered as two sides of the same coin.– KM practices are key enablers and essential tools for a LO.– KM is the essential activity within the context of the LO.Source: Al-Hawamdeh (2003)What is CoPs?• Communities of Practices are groups of people who share a concern, a set of problems, a passion about a topic, and who deepen their knowledge and expertise in this area by interacting on an ongoing basis. ...