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Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Intellectual ...

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Bob Barrett<br />

6. C<strong>on</strong>cept <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> community <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> practice in today’s workplace<br />

A community <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> practice can be defined as “groups <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> people who share similar goals and interests. In<br />

pursuit <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se goals and interest, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y employ comm<strong>on</strong> practices, work with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> same tools, and<br />

express <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>mselves in comm<strong>on</strong> language. Though such comm<strong>on</strong> activity, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y come to hold similar<br />

benefits and value systems.” (Collaborative Visualizati<strong>on</strong> Project, n.d., para. 4). According to Lave and<br />

Wenger (1991), situated learning is a typed <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> learning that takes place in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> workplace. One way to<br />

view this is in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> lens <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> an apprentice learning <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> job for use later in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir pr<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>essi<strong>on</strong>al<br />

pr<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>essi<strong>on</strong>. As <strong>on</strong>e c<strong>on</strong>tinues to work in a given envir<strong>on</strong>ment, skills and experiences are learned or<br />

shared, as well as c<strong>on</strong>tributi<strong>on</strong>s to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> collective whole can occur. While it may not be <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> same<br />

level at more experienced, skilled, or educated pr<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>essi<strong>on</strong>als, this type <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> experience does<br />

dem<strong>on</strong>strate <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> beginnings <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong>e’s c<strong>on</strong>tributi<strong>on</strong> and participati<strong>on</strong> in knowledge management in <strong>on</strong>e<br />

sense or ano<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r. C<strong>on</strong>sequently, we can see participati<strong>on</strong> in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> workplace, academia or even in a<br />

virtual ga<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r (learning situati<strong>on</strong>) as a form <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Legitimate Peripheral Participati<strong>on</strong> (LPP), as described<br />

by Lave and Wenger (1991). In this type <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> participati<strong>on</strong>, we can view it as a social process in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se<br />

described envir<strong>on</strong>ments, whereas people join toge<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r for a comm<strong>on</strong> goal(s) and proceed to build<br />

up<strong>on</strong> each o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r’s participati<strong>on</strong>, c<strong>on</strong>tributi<strong>on</strong>s, and experiences. In fact, this is <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir “own” community<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> practice starting to be built by <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m, which tell not <strong>on</strong>ly a story about <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir interacti<strong>on</strong>s –<br />

but also how <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y create, value, and share <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir knowledge gained.<br />

Legitimate Peripheral Participati<strong>on</strong> (LPP) can be viewed in three aspects. According to Lave and<br />

Wenger (1991), LPP is composed <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> legitimati<strong>on</strong>, peripherality , and participati<strong>on</strong> separately.<br />

“Legitimati<strong>on</strong> refers to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> power and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> authority relati<strong>on</strong>s in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> community. Peripherality refers to<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> individual’s social, ra<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r than physical peripherlity in relati<strong>on</strong> to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> community. This in turn is<br />

dependent <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir history <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> participati<strong>on</strong> in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> group and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> expectati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir future participati<strong>on</strong><br />

in and interacti<strong>on</strong> with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> community.” (p. 3). Out <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> this participati<strong>on</strong> in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> given envir<strong>on</strong>ment, we<br />

need to look at <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> given acti<strong>on</strong>, product or experience. What is shared, distributed, or learned tells<br />

<strong>on</strong>e about <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> community <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> practice and its relevance as a whole. In order to do this we look at what<br />

is comm<strong>on</strong> or <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> basis called by Clark and Brennan (1991) as <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> comm<strong>on</strong> ground. With this c<strong>on</strong>cept<br />

in mind, we look at <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> envir<strong>on</strong>ment, how informati<strong>on</strong> is shared or distributed, and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> dynamics <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

group in general. Thus, we need to understand <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> rule and functi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se communities <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

practices and how relevant <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y are to organizati<strong>on</strong>s and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir employees.<br />

7. Role and functi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> network <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> practice in Knowledge Management<br />

While <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>tributi<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> group are quite important to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> sharing, distributi<strong>on</strong>, and maintaining <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

knowledge <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> organizati<strong>on</strong> or envir<strong>on</strong>ment in general, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re is also a form <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> interacti<strong>on</strong> with o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rs<br />

outside <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> given envir<strong>on</strong>ment. As members <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a group, or community <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> practice, interact within<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir community, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y are also part <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> networks out <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir community. O<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rwise, without this<br />

external interacti<strong>on</strong>, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> learning or knowledge gained within <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir communicati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> practice may be<br />

stagnant or being formed within a vacuum. Brown and Duguid (2000) looked at <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> value <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se<br />

external networks and named <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m as Network <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Practice (NoP). What we can see as potential NoP<br />

are specialized groups or perhaps specific technological networks, suppliers or organizati<strong>on</strong>s from<br />

which certain communities <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> practices can gain or share valuable informati<strong>on</strong> in which to improve<br />

up<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir own community and perhaps set up “particular networks” <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> value to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir<br />

organizati<strong>on</strong> as a whole.<br />

Who are members <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> NoP? According to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> works <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Markus (2001), we can examined <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> work <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se “shared work practiti<strong>on</strong>ers” as seeking o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rs like <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m in characteristics, interests, and work<br />

goals. Markus (2001) described <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se shared work practiti<strong>on</strong>ers as doing similar work, but in different<br />

work settings. They are all seeking new knowledge and ways <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> performing <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir work goals, but yet<br />

learn o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r ways <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> enhancing <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir own community. They actively seek o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rs in similar industries or<br />

organizati<strong>on</strong>s to interact or network with in meeting <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir own goals and perhaps learning more about<br />

new forms <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> technology and best practices. As a result, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y help not <strong>on</strong>ly <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>mselves, groups, and<br />

organizati<strong>on</strong>s, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y also c<strong>on</strong>tribute to sometimes more than <strong>on</strong>e NoP or CoP and increase value for<br />

all. Thus, we need to look a bit closer at who are <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>tributors to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se communities <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> practice and<br />

how <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir c<strong>on</strong>tributi<strong>on</strong>s can add to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> intellectual capital <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir organizati<strong>on</strong>s and o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r related<br />

parties.<br />

79

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