Cultivating Communities of Practice

A Guide to Managing Knowledge

Etienne Wenger, Richard McDermott, William M. Snyder

282 pages, parution le 14/02/2002

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Résumé

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.

Contents

One :
Communities of Practice and Their
Value to Organizations

Two :
Communities of Practice and Their
Structural Elements

Three :
Seven Principles for Cultivating
Communities of Practice

Four :
The Early Stages of Development

Five :
The Mature Stages of Development Six : The Challenge of Distributed Communities

Seven :
The Downside of Communities of Practice

Eight :
Measuring and Managing Value Creation

Nine :
Community-Based Knowledge Initiatives

Ten :
Reweaving the World

Notes
Bibliography
Index
About the Author

Caractéristiques techniques

	PAPIER
Éditeur(s)	Harvard Business School Press (HBS)
Auteur(s)	Etienne Wenger, Richard McDermott, William M. Snyder
Parution	14/02/2002
Nb. de pages	282
Format	16,2 x 24,2
Couverture	Broché
Poids	632g
Intérieur	Noir et Blanc
EAN13	9781578513307
ISBN13	978-1-57851-330-7