A Social Informatics Framework for Sustaining Virtual Communities of Practice

Virtual Communities ◽

Business Models ◽

Explicit Knowledge ◽

Group Decision Support Systems ◽

Technology Applications ◽

Reminiscent of the present-day Web vogue and the emergence of a myriad of e-enabled business models, virtual communities of practice are fast emerging as the next logical extension of traditional communities of practice. Virtual communities of practice exemplify the components of most contemporary communities of practice, which incorporate elements of physical social interactions, in combination with distributed virtual connections. These communities utilize technology applications to better manage their routine pursuits. More specifically, information and communication technologies (ICTs) are being used to facilitate the operations of a community of practice by providing tools for managing content (explicit knowledge) and a means for sharing expertise (tacit knowledge) through cooperation, coordination, and collaboration. The enabling technologies for institutionalizing a virtual community of practice range from simple user tools such as e-mail, teleconferencing, and groupware, to the more complex software applications, including group decision support systems (GDSSs) and corporate portals.

Social Informatics Framework for Sustaining Virtual Communities of Practice

E-Collaboration ◽

10.4018/978-1-60566-652-5.ch017 ◽

2009 ◽

pp. 193-201

Author(s):

Umar Ruhi

Keyword(s):

Communities Of Practice ◽

Community Of Practice ◽

Virtual Communities ◽

Business Models ◽

Explicit Knowledge ◽

Group Decision Support Systems ◽

Technology Applications ◽

Reminiscent of the present-day Web vogue and the emergence of a myriad of e-enabled business models, virtual communities of practice are fast emerging as the next logical extension of traditional communities of practice. Virtual communities of practice exemplify the components of most contemporary communities of practice, which incorporate elements of physical social interactions, in combination with distributed virtual connections. These communities utilize technology applications to better manage their routine pursuits. More specifically, information and communication technologies (ICTs) are being used to facilitate the operations of a community of practice by providing tools for managing content (explicit knowledge) and a means for sharing expertise (tacit knowledge) through cooperation, coordination, and collaboration. The enabling technologies for institutionalizing a virtual community of practice range from simple user tools such as e-mail, teleconferencing, and groupware, to the more complex software applications, including group decision support systems (GDSSs) and corporate portals.

The Search for the 'Hidden' Virtual Communities of Practice

Virtual Community Practices and Social Interactive Media ◽

10.4018/978-1-60566-340-1.ch003 ◽

2010 ◽

pp. 42-59 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Richard Ribeiro ◽

Chris Kimble

Keyword(s):

Communities Of Practice ◽

Community Of Practice ◽

Virtual Communities ◽

Virtual Community ◽

Structured Interview ◽

Electronic Networks ◽

Seci Model ◽

Fully Functioning

This chapter examines the possibility of discovering a “hidden” (potential) Community of Practice (CoP) inside electronic networks, and then using this knowledge to nurture it into a fully functioning Virtual Community of Practice (VCoP). Starting from the standpoint of the need to manage knowledge and create innovation, the chapter discusses several issues related to this subject. It begins by examining Nonaka’s SECI model and his notion of Knowledge Transfer; the authors follow this by an investigation of the links between Communities of Practice (CoPs) and Knowledge Management; the chapter concludes by examining the relation between Nonaka’s Communities of Interaction and CoPs. Having established this the authors start their examination of the characteristics of “hidden” Communities of Practice. Following on from the previous discussion, they look at what is meant by “hidden” CoPs and what their value might be. They also look at the distinction between Distributed CoPs (DCoPs) and Virtual CoPs (VCoPs) and the issues raised when moving from ‘hidden’ CoPs to fully functioning VCoPs. The chapter concludes with some preliminary findings from a semi-structured interview conducted in the Higher Education Academy Psychology Network (UK). These findings are contrasted against the theory and some further proposals are made.

The Search for the ’Hidden’ Virtual Communities of Practice

Virtual Communities ◽

10.4018/978-1-60960-100-3.ch717 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 2395-2411

Author(s):

Richard Ribeiro ◽

Chris Kimble

Keyword(s):

Communities Of Practice ◽

Community Of Practice ◽

Virtual Communities ◽

Virtual Community ◽

Structured Interview ◽

Electronic Networks ◽

Seci Model ◽

Fully Functioning

This chapter examines the possibility of discovering a “hidden” (potential) Community of Practice (CoP) inside electronic networks, and then using this knowledge to nurture it into a fully functioning Virtual Community of Practice (VCoP). Starting from the standpoint of the need to manage knowledge and create innovation, the chapter discusses several issues related to this subject. It begins by examining Nonaka’s SECI model and his notion of Knowledge Transfer; the authors follow this by an investigation of the links between Communities of Practice (CoPs) and Knowledge Management; the chapter concludes by examining the relation between Nonaka’s Communities of Interaction and CoPs. Having established this the authors start their examination of the characteristics of “hidden” Communities of Practice. Following on from the previous discussion, they look at what is meant by “hidden” CoPs and what their value might be. They also look at the distinction between Distributed CoPs (DCoPs) and Virtual CoPs (VCoPs) and the issues raised when moving from ‘hidden’ CoPs to fully functioning VCoPs. The chapter concludes with some preliminary findings from a semi-structured interview conducted in the Higher Education Academy Psychology Network (UK). These findings are contrasted against the theory and some further proposals are made.

Facilitator Toolkit for Building and Sustaining Virtual Communities of Practice

Knowledge Networks ◽

10.4018/978-1-59140-200-8.ch017 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 202-215 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Lisa Kimball ◽

Amy Ladd

Keyword(s):

Knowledge Management ◽

Best Practices ◽

Communities Of Practice ◽

Community Of Practice ◽

Virtual Communities ◽

Collaborative Work ◽

Work Training ◽

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

Handbook of Research on Business Social Networking ◽

10.4018/978-1-61350-168-9.ch019 ◽

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 ◽

Virtual Communities ◽

Business Environment ◽

Professional Relationship ◽

The Social ◽

Fast Pace ◽

Information And Communication ◽

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.

Evaluating the Development of Virtual Communities of Practice that Support Evidence Based Practice

Evidence Based Library and Information Practice ◽

10.18438/b8z628 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 48 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Christine Urquhart ◽

Anne Brice ◽

Janet Cooper ◽

Siân Spink ◽

Rhian Thomas

Keyword(s):

Communities Of Practice ◽

Community Of Practice ◽

Virtual Communities ◽

Evidence Based Practice ◽

Evaluation Framework ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Supporting Evidence ◽

Stage Of Development ◽

Information Professionals ◽

Objective – The aim of this paper is to examine how virtual community of practice principles might be used by information professionals with emphasis on the work of the Specialist Libraries for health professionals in England, UK. An evaluation conducted in 2004-2005 examined the operation of the Specialist Libraries, which the National Library for Health had contracted out to various organisations, and assessed their stage of development as communities of practice. Methods – Evaluation methods included observation of a meeting of information specialists, interviews with clinical leads and information specialists, and evaluation of the content and format of the Specialist Library websites. The evaluation framework was based on a systematic review of the literature to determine the critical success factors for communities of practice and their role in supporting evidence based practice. An updated literature review was conducted for this paper. Results – Operational structures varied but were mostly effective in producing communities of practice that were at an “engaged” stage. Some Specialist Libraries wished to move towards the “active” stage by supporting online discussion forums, or by providing question and answering services or more learning activities and materials. Although the evidence from the literature suggests there are few clear criteria for judging the effectiveness of communities of practice, the evaluation framework used here was successful in identifying the state of progress and how information professionals might approach designing virtual communities of practice. Conclusions – Structuring library and information services around community of practice principles is effective. Careful and participative design of the information architecture is required for good support for evidence based practice.

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

Cyber Behavior ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-5942-1.ch020 ◽

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 ◽

Virtual Communities ◽

Business Environment ◽

Professional Relationship ◽

The Social ◽

Fast Pace ◽

Information And Communication ◽

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.

Remedial Boundary Work and Gatekeeper Centrality in a Virtual Entrepreneur Community

Frontiers in Communication ◽

10.3389/fcomm.2021.753329 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

Author(s):

Jessica J. Santana

Keyword(s):

Communities Of Practice ◽

Community Of Practice ◽

Social Exchange ◽

Network Structure ◽

Empirical Data ◽

Virtual Communities ◽

Boundary Work ◽

Community Network ◽

Open Network ◽

Virtual communities of practice invoke novel forms of boundary work that are newly visible via publicly recorded discourse and failure narratives. This boundary work has critical implications for occupational knowledge, membership, and stratification. Building on social exchange theorization of network gatekeeping, the author tests the assumption that centralized peers are more competitive gatekeepers, in that they react more negatively to remedial narratives. The author tests this theory using empirical data from a virtual entrepreneur community on Reddit. The author finds that a peer’s tenure in the community network is directly related to exclusive, competitive boundary work of remedial members. However, by looking beyond the network structure to the content of the tie, the author finds that exclusive boundary work is not as impactful as inclusive, collaborative boundary work in this open network setting. The author builds on relational cohesion and exchange commitment theory to explain how remedial practitioners circumvent central community gatekeepers through failure narratives that provoke empathy from peripheral peers who experience higher uncertainty than core peers. Understanding these dynamics is critical to promoting recovery from failure and vitality of the community of practice.

Creating virtual communities of practice for learning technology in higher education: issues and experiences

Research in Learning Technology ◽

10.3402/rlt.v12i1.11228 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Cathy Gunn

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Communities Of Practice ◽

Community Of Practice ◽

Current Literature ◽

Virtual Communities ◽

Learning Technology ◽

Compelling Reason ◽

Technology In Higher Education

Dempster et al .’s paper (2003) describes an example of a community of practice that fits well with the definition given in current literature—one of a few that does not stretch the definition beyond the limits. Some would doubtless argue that communities evolve and cannot be created. This may point to a key element missing from the scenario described, i.e. a compelling reason for users to access the resources and participate in the communities provided for them by learning technologists.DOI: 10.1080/0968776042000211557