Virtual Communities of Practice

2005 ◽  
pp. 2991-2995 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Kimble ◽  
Paul Hildreth
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Information Management ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Types Of Knowledge ◽  
Innovative Solution ◽  
Virtual Communities Of Practice

When knowledge management (KM) began to emerge in the 1990s it was seen as an innovative solution to the problems of managing knowledge in a competitive and increasingly internationalised business environment. However, in practice it was often little more than information management re-badged (Wilson, 2002). More recently, there has been recognition of the importance of more subtle, softer types of knowledge that need to be shared. This raises the question as to how this sort of knowledge might be managed. Communities of practice (CoPs) have been identified as means by which this type of knowledge can be nurtured, shared and sustained (Hildreth & Kimble, 2002). Do CoPs offer a means of managing the softer aspects of knowledge and, if they do, are they applicable to today’s increasingly “virtual” world?

Virtual Communities of Practice

2011 ◽  
pp. 3981-3985
Author(s):  
Chris Kimble ◽  
Paul Hildreth
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Information Management ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Types Of Knowledge ◽  
Innovative Solution ◽  
Virtual Communities Of Practice

When knowledge management (KM) began to emerge in the 1990s it was seen as an innovative solution to the problems of managing knowledge in a competitive and increasingly internationalised business environment. However, in practice it was often little more than information management re-badged (Wilson, 2002). More recently, there has been recognition of the importance of more subtle, softer types of knowledge that need to be shared. This raises the question as to how this sort of knowledge might be managed. Communities of practice (CoPs) have been identified as means by which this type of knowledge can be nurtured, shared and sustained (Hildreth & Kimble, 2002). Do CoPs offer a means of managing the softer aspects of knowledge and, if they do, are they applicable to today’s increasingly “virtual” world?

Facilitator Toolkit for Building and Sustaining Virtual Communities of Practice

2011 ◽  
pp. 202-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Kimball ◽  
Amy Ladd
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Collaborative Work ◽  
Work Training ◽  
Virtual Communities Of Practice ◽  
Over Time

The boundaries of a Community of Practice (CoP) have changed significantly because of changes in organizations and the nature of the work they do. Organizations have become more distributed across geography and across industries. Relationships between people inside an organization and those previously considered outside (customers, suppliers, managers of collaborating organizations, other stakeholders) are becoming more important. In addition, organizations have discovered the value of collaborative work due to the new emphasis on Knowledge Management—harvesting the learning and the experience of members of the organization so that it is available to the whole organization. This chapter offers a practical toolkit of best practices, tips and examples from the authors’ work training leaders to launch and sustain a virtual CoP, including tips for chartering the community, defining roles, and creating the culture that will sustain the community over time.

Virtual Communities of Practice as a Support for Knowledge Sharing in Social Networks

2012 ◽  
pp. 374-387
Author(s):  
Yóris Linhares de Souza ◽  
Fernanda Farinelli ◽  
George Leal Jamil ◽  
Maria Celeste Reis Lobo de Vasconcelos ◽  
Gutenberg Marques Dias
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Professional Relationship ◽  
The Social ◽  
Fast Pace ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Virtual Communities Of Practice

Knowledge as a result of people’s interaction is an essential factor for organizations facing actual business complexity. Social networks, whose creation and usage have been facilitated from the development of information and communication technologies, improved the conditions for interactive and collaborative answers at a very fast pace. In this sense, virtual communities of practice appear as an important way to share knowledge among groups of people joined by common interests, such as the search for solutions for problems, development of competences, professional relationship upgrades, growth of productivity, and general working quality. However, some barriers have emerged to the social network members, such as lack of trust, real incentives, and time to dedicate in order to contribute in these communities. In this chapter, aiming to evaluate such scenarios, a multiple case study methodology was conducted, starting from a literature review of main concepts, giving support for a final assessment of cases to provide better understanding and identification of the main benefits and barriers for the participation and collaboration in these new platforms. As a result of the present study, these reflections could lead to a better comprehension of the application of the social networks structured over virtual communities of practice in the business environment.

On the Definition and Impact of Virtual Communities of Practice

2009 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 73-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonios Andreatos
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Informal Learning ◽  
Learning Theory ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Virtual Communities Of Practice ◽  
To Come

The evolution of the Internet has made several Communities of Practice to go online and has brought into life numerous Virtual Communities of Practice. The purpose of this article is: to define and categorize Virtual Communities of Practice; to examine their social impact in general and specifically in knowledge and technology management; also, to examine the contribution of Communities of Practice to informal learning and to relate them to Connectivism and collaborative learning. Several case studies are presented to clarify the presentation. It is expected that Virtual Communities of Practice will play an important role in both learning theory and practice as well as knowledge management during the years to come.

Virtual Communities of Practice as a Support for Knowledge Sharing in Social Networks

2014 ◽  
pp. 350-363
Author(s):  
Yóris Linhares de Souza ◽  
Fernanda Farinelli ◽  
George Leal Jamil ◽  
Maria Celeste Reis Lobo de Vasconcelos ◽  
Gutenberg Marques Dias
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Professional Relationship ◽  
The Social ◽  
Fast Pace ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Virtual Communities Of Practice

Knowledge as a result of people's interaction is an essential factor for organizations facing actual business complexity. Social networks, whose creation and usage have been facilitated from the development of information and communication technologies, improved the conditions for interactive and collaborative answers at a very fast pace. In this sense, virtual communities of practice appear as an important way to share knowledge among groups of people joined by common interests, such as the search for solutions for problems, development of competences, professional relationship upgrades, growth of productivity, and general working quality. However, some barriers have emerged to the social network members, such as lack of trust, real incentives, and time to dedicate in order to contribute in these communities. In this chapter, aiming to evaluate such scenarios, a multiple case study methodology was conducted, starting from a literature review of main concepts, giving support for a final assessment of cases to provide better understanding and identification of the main benefits and barriers for the participation and collaboration in these new platforms. As a result of the present study, these reflections could lead to a better comprehension of the application of the social networks structured over virtual communities of practice in the business environment.

scholarly journals Knowledge Management in Virtual Communities of Practice

10.5772/9553 ◽  
2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junio Cesar de Lima ◽  
Cedric Luiz de Carvalho ◽  
Ana Paula Laboissiere Ambrosio
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Virtual Communities Of Practice
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document