Communities of Practice and Other Organizational Groups

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Author(s): Eli Hustad (Agder University College, Norway)and Bjørn Erik Munkvold (Agder University College, Norway)
Copyright: 2006
Pages: 3
Source title: Encyclopedia of Communities of Practice in Information and Knowledge Management
Source Author(s)/Editor(s): Elayne Coakes (University of Westminster, UK)and Steve Clarke (University of Hull Business School, UK)
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-59140-556-6.ch012

Keywords: Information Science Reference / Media & Communications / Social Computing / Virtual Communities & Virtual Reality

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Abstract

A general challenge in communities of practice (CoP) research and practice is how this concept can be distinguished from related terms such as project teams, workgroups, and knowledge networks. What criteria determine whether a group qualifies as a CoP? While these different concepts share several common characteristics, there are also important distinguishing features. Acknowledging these differences is important when assessing which former knowledge and research streams to build upon, and for increasing the level of precision in CoP research. In this article we provide a brief comparison of related terms, based on a set of distinguishing dimensions.

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