Linking Organisational Culture and Communities of Practice

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Author(s): Anzela Huq (Royal Holloway University of London, UK), Jawwad Z. Raja (Royal Holloway University of London, UK)and Duska Rosenberg (Royal Holloway University of London, UK)
Copyright: 2006
Pages: 6
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.ch058

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

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Abstract

The purpose of this article is to identify a link between organisational culture and communities of practice. We propose that the informal nature of communities of practice places great limitations in terms of management and control and that for their purpose—which is primarily to share tacit organisational knowledge and enhance organisational learning—it is fatalistic to try to impose and enforce control. Rather, these communities ought to be left alone to formulate their knowledge sharing activities, and management comes in to provide the support, both cognitive and practical in terms of resources, to ensure that time spent at work is productive, and the knowledge is well spread and used throughout. So, not only do we intend to identify a link between culture and communities of practice, but we will demonstrate that the former has great implications in the survival and success of the latter. A review of the most prolific literature is provided, followed by a debate about the relationship between these two distinct concepts, followed by our visions for the future.

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