Cultivating Communities of Practice

Cultivating Communities of Practice PDF Author: Etienne Wenger
Publisher: Harvard Business Press
ISBN: 1578513308
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 306

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Book Description
Today's marketplace is fueled by knowledge. Yet organizing systematically to leverage knowledge remains a challenge. Leading companies have discovered that technology is not enough, and that cultivating communities of practice is the keystone of an effective knowledge strategy. Communities of practice come together around common interests and expertise- whether they consist of first-line managers or customer service representatives, neurosurgeons or software programmers, city managers or home-improvement amateurs. They create, share, and apply knowledge within and across the boundaries of teams, business units, and even entire companies-providing a concrete path toward creating a true knowledge organization. In Cultivating Communities of Practice, Etienne Wenger, Richard McDermott, and William M. Snyder argue that while communities form naturally, organizations need to become more proactive and systematic about developing and integrating them into their strategy. This book provides practical models and methods for stewarding these communities to reach their full potential-without squelching the inner drive that makes them so valuable. Through in-depth cases from firms such as DaimlerChrysler, McKinsey & Company, Shell, and the World Bank, the authors demonstrate how communities of practice can be leveraged to drive overall company strategy, generate new business opportunities, tie personal development to corporate goals, transfer best practices, and recruit and retain top talent. They define the unique features of these communities and outline principles for nurturing their essential elements. They provide guidelines to support communities of practice through their major stages of development, address the potential downsides of communities, and discuss the specific challenges of distributed communities. And they show how to recognize the value created by communities of practice and how to build a corporate knowledge strategy around them. Essential reading for any leader in today's knowledge economy, this is the definitive guide to developing communities of practice for the benefit-and long-term success-of organizations and the individuals who work in them. Etienne Wenger is a renowned expert and consultant on knowledge management and communities of practice in San Juan, California. Richard McDermott is a leading expert of organization and community development in Boulder, Colorado. William M. Snyder is a founding partner of Social Capital Group, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Cultivating Communities of Practice

Cultivating Communities of Practice PDF Author: Etienne Wenger
Publisher: Harvard Business Press
ISBN: 1578513308
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 306

Get Book Here

Book Description
Today's marketplace is fueled by knowledge. Yet organizing systematically to leverage knowledge remains a challenge. Leading companies have discovered that technology is not enough, and that cultivating communities of practice is the keystone of an effective knowledge strategy. Communities of practice come together around common interests and expertise- whether they consist of first-line managers or customer service representatives, neurosurgeons or software programmers, city managers or home-improvement amateurs. They create, share, and apply knowledge within and across the boundaries of teams, business units, and even entire companies-providing a concrete path toward creating a true knowledge organization. In Cultivating Communities of Practice, Etienne Wenger, Richard McDermott, and William M. Snyder argue that while communities form naturally, organizations need to become more proactive and systematic about developing and integrating them into their strategy. This book provides practical models and methods for stewarding these communities to reach their full potential-without squelching the inner drive that makes them so valuable. Through in-depth cases from firms such as DaimlerChrysler, McKinsey & Company, Shell, and the World Bank, the authors demonstrate how communities of practice can be leveraged to drive overall company strategy, generate new business opportunities, tie personal development to corporate goals, transfer best practices, and recruit and retain top talent. They define the unique features of these communities and outline principles for nurturing their essential elements. They provide guidelines to support communities of practice through their major stages of development, address the potential downsides of communities, and discuss the specific challenges of distributed communities. And they show how to recognize the value created by communities of practice and how to build a corporate knowledge strategy around them. Essential reading for any leader in today's knowledge economy, this is the definitive guide to developing communities of practice for the benefit-and long-term success-of organizations and the individuals who work in them. Etienne Wenger is a renowned expert and consultant on knowledge management and communities of practice in San Juan, California. Richard McDermott is a leading expert of organization and community development in Boulder, Colorado. William M. Snyder is a founding partner of Social Capital Group, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Communities of Practice

Communities of Practice PDF Author: Etienne Wenger
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107268370
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 340

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Book Description
This book presents a theory of learning that starts with the assumption that engagement in social practice is the fundamental process by which we get to know what we know and by which we become who we are. The primary unit of analysis of this process is neither the individual nor social institutions, but the informal 'communities of practice' that people form as they pursue shared enterprises over time. To give a social account of learning, the theory explores in a systematic way the intersection of issues of community, social practice, meaning, and identity. The result is a broad framework for thinking about learning as a process of social participation. This ambitious but thoroughly accessible framework has relevance for the practitioner as well as the theoretician, presented with all the breadth, depth, and rigor necessary to address such a complex and yet profoundly human topic.

Learning in Landscapes of Practice

Learning in Landscapes of Practice PDF Author: Etienne Wenger-Trayner
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317692527
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 205

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Book Description
If the body of knowledge of a profession is a living landscape of practice, then our personal experience of learning can be thought of as a journey through this landscape. Within Learning in Landscapes of Practice, this metaphor is further developed in order to start an important conversation about the nature of practice knowledge, identity and the experience of practitioners and their learning. In doing so, this book is a pioneering and timely exploration of the future of professional development and higher education. The book combines a strong theoretical perspective grounded in social learning theories with stories from a broad range of contributors who occupy different locations in their own landscapes of practice. These narratives locate the book within different contemporary concerns such as social media, multi-agency, multi-disciplinary and multi-national partnerships, and the integration of academic study and workplace practice. Both scholarly, in the sense that it builds on prior research to extend and locate the concept of landscapes of practice, and practical because of the way in which it draws on multiple voices from different landscapes. Learning in Landscapes of Practice will be of particular relevance to people concerned with the design of professional or vocational learning. It will also be a valuable resource for students engaged in higher education courses with work-based elements.

Encyclopedia of Communities of Practice in Information and Knowledge Management

Encyclopedia of Communities of Practice in Information and Knowledge Management PDF Author: Coakes, Elayne
Publisher: IGI Global
ISBN: 1591405580
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 642

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Book Description
"This encyclopedia will give readers insight on how other organizations have tackled the necessary means of sharing knowledge across communities and functions" -- Provided by publisher.

Knowledge Networks

Knowledge Networks PDF Author: Paul M. Hildreth
Publisher: IGI Global
ISBN: 159140200X
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 357

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Book Description
Knowledge Networks: Innovation Through Communities of Practice explores the inner workings of an organizational, internationally distributed Community of Practice. The book highlights the weaknesses of the 'traditional' KM approach of 'capture-codify-store' and asserts that communities of practice are recognized as groups where soft (knowledge that cannot be captured) knowledge is created and sustained. Readers will gain insight into a period the life of a distributed international community of practice by following the members as they work, meet, collaborate, interact and socialize.

Digital Habitats

Digital Habitats PDF Author: Etienne Wenger
Publisher: CPsquare
ISBN: 0982503601
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 250

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Book Description
Technology has changed what it means for communities to "be together." Digital tools are now part of most communities' habitats. This book develops a new literacy and language to describe the practice of stewarding technology for communities. Whether you want to ground your technology stewardship in theory and deepen your practice, whether you are a community leader or sponsor who wants to understand how communities and technology intersect, or whether you just want practical advice, this is the book for you.

Learning to Make a Difference

Learning to Make a Difference PDF Author: Etienne Wenger-Trayner
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108750362
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 291

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Book Description
Today, more people want to know how to make a meaningful difference to what they care about. But for that, traditional approaches to learning often fall short. In this book, we offer a theoretical and practical way forward. We introduce the concept of social learning spaces for developing both new capabilities and a sense of agency. We provide a rich framework for focusing on the value of social learning spaces: how to generate this value, monitor it, and learn iteratively through the process. The book is a useful extension and refinement of 'communities of practice' for those familiar with the theory. For those who are not, the chapters will lay out a new way to approach learning. This volume is written to serve the needs of readers across fields, including researchers, educators, and leaders in business, government, healthcare, and international development.

Communities of Practice

Communities of Practice PDF Author: Noriko Hara
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 354085424X
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 143

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Book Description
1.1 Introduction Each year corporations spend millions of dollars training and educating their - ployees. On average, these corporations spend approximately one thousand dollars 1 per employee each year. As businesses struggle to stay on the cutting-edge and to keep their employees educated and up-to-speed with professional trends as well as ever-changing information needs, it is easy to see why corporations are investing more time and money than ever in their efforts to support their employees’ prof- sional development. During the Industrial Age, companies strove to control natural resources. The more resources they controlled, the greater their competitive edge in the mark- place. Senge (1993) refers to this kind of organization as resource-based. In the Information Age, companies must create, disseminate, and effectively use kno- edge within their organization in order to maintain their market share. Senge - scribes this kind of organization as knowledge-based. Given that knowledge-based organizations willcontinuetobeadrivingforcebehindtheeconomy, itisimperative that corporations support the knowledge and information needs of their workers.

Handbook of Research on Communities of Practice for Organizational Management and Networking: Methodologies for Competitive Advantage

Handbook of Research on Communities of Practice for Organizational Management and Networking: Methodologies for Competitive Advantage PDF Author: Hern ez, Olga Rivera
Publisher: IGI Global
ISBN: 1605668036
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 540

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Book Description
"This book provides a sound understanding of the managerial implications of communities of practice as well as their opportunities and limits for knowledge management"--nota del editor.

Designing for Change

Designing for Change PDF Author: Beverly Wenger-Trayner
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781733735407
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 100

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Book Description
Designing for Change brings to life decades of research in social learning theory by Beverly and Etienne Wenger-Trayner. This is a case study of the University Innovation Fellows student program, an example of how their theories have played out in higher education. While learning has historically been associated with mental acquisition of a curriculum, colleges and universities today are recognizing that our young people must leave school prepared to tackle complex, real-world problems that are not always found in textbooks. How might we provide students with opportunities to gain these necessary skills and mindsets? The learning frameworks and stories in this book will provide insights into how social learning theory can be used to help students approach challenges head-on and create meaningful solutions that benefit everyone.