Communities of Practice

Introduction to Knowledge Management: Communities of Practice

Knowledge Management (KM)

Treats intellectual capital as a manageable and valuable asset.

Intellectual Capital

Intangible value a company gains from its employees' expertise, its processes, and its overall knowledge.

Communities of Practice (CoP)

Groups of people with similar tasks and interests who understand the value of exchanging knowledge and trust.

Elements of Competence

Enterprise, Mutuality, and Repertoire.

Enterprise

To be competent is to grasp the enterprise well enough to contribute.

Mutuality

To be competent is to engage with the community and be trusted as a partner in these interactions.

Repertoire

To be competent is to have access to and appropriate usage of a shared repertoire of communal resources.

Components of a CoP

Events, Leadership, Connectivity, Membership, Learning Projects, and Artifacts.

Roles of CoP in KM

Sharing knowledge among team members, creating new insights, helping members improve, and promoting continuous learning.