Vitaliy Greben
ML581-47099
Wenger, Etienne, Richard McDermott, and William M. Snyder. 2002. Cultivating Communities of Practice: A Guide to Managing Knowledge. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
INTRODUCTION In Cultivating Communities of Practice, Etienne Wenger, Richard McDermott, and William M. Snyder write about the way of sharing and applying knowledge across the usual boundaries of organizations. They call it communities of practice, which come together around particular interests and ideas. This book identifies practical principles for starting and developing these communities; it describes their goals and structural elements, illustrates their value to organizations and provides with practical guidance for community design. …show more content…
What is a structural model of communities of practice and what are the implications of this model?
• Rationale: Because communities of practice can vary widely in names, forms, and sizes, it is important to identify a basic structure of such communities. Having the foundational elements of the communities also helps in clarifying the definition of communities of practice “as a social structure distinct from other types” (40).
According to the authors of the book, a community of practice has a combination of three foundational elements: a domain of knowledge, which defines a set of issues and creates a common ground; a community of people who care about this domain, which builds a foundation for collective inquiry; and the shared practice that members are developing to be effective in their domain (27). When these elements work well together, they make a community of practice an ideal knowledge and social structure that can “assume responsibility for developing and sharing knowledge” (29). This model can be used not only for defining the foundation, but also for identifying different areas that motivate people to participate in a community. The implications of this structural model are also significant in developing Christian communities, because of the idea of sharing knowledge, experiences and practices they are identified …show more content…
What practical insights does this book offer for creating and developing communities of practice?
• Rationale: It is obvious that the concept of communities of practice can be useful for different organizations, including various Christian groups. Because of this implication, it is vital to learn about practical steps for developing these communities. The writers developed several principles for designing communities of practice, which they derived from their own experience. They clearly stated that these principles are not recipes, but “rather embody authors’ understanding of how elements of design work together” (51). The idea here is to create liveliness by maintaining a dynamic connection between different elements, instead of “manufacturing a predetermined outcome” (64). Because communities evolve and go through a natural cycle of birth, growth, and death, the authors suggested managing their development in stages. Through the book, they illustrated several stages of community development: potential, coalescing, maturing, stewardship, and transformation. At each stage communities have a different level of energy and visibility, which requires different activities. Because of these dynamics, the writes explain in great details about “the issues communities face during these stages and the activities that can help them develop”
ML581-47099
Wenger, Etienne, Richard McDermott, and William M. Snyder. 2002. Cultivating Communities of Practice: A Guide to Managing Knowledge. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
INTRODUCTION In Cultivating Communities of Practice, Etienne Wenger, Richard McDermott, and William M. Snyder write about the way of sharing and applying knowledge across the usual boundaries of organizations. They call it communities of practice, which come together around particular interests and ideas. This book identifies practical principles for starting and developing these communities; it describes their goals and structural elements, illustrates their value to organizations and provides with practical guidance for community design. …show more content…
What is a structural model of communities of practice and what are the implications of this model?
• Rationale: Because communities of practice can vary widely in names, forms, and sizes, it is important to identify a basic structure of such communities. Having the foundational elements of the communities also helps in clarifying the definition of communities of practice “as a social structure distinct from other types” (40).
According to the authors of the book, a community of practice has a combination of three foundational elements: a domain of knowledge, which defines a set of issues and creates a common ground; a community of people who care about this domain, which builds a foundation for collective inquiry; and the shared practice that members are developing to be effective in their domain (27). When these elements work well together, they make a community of practice an ideal knowledge and social structure that can “assume responsibility for developing and sharing knowledge” (29). This model can be used not only for defining the foundation, but also for identifying different areas that motivate people to participate in a community. The implications of this structural model are also significant in developing Christian communities, because of the idea of sharing knowledge, experiences and practices they are identified …show more content…
What practical insights does this book offer for creating and developing communities of practice?
• Rationale: It is obvious that the concept of communities of practice can be useful for different organizations, including various Christian groups. Because of this implication, it is vital to learn about practical steps for developing these communities. The writers developed several principles for designing communities of practice, which they derived from their own experience. They clearly stated that these principles are not recipes, but “rather embody authors’ understanding of how elements of design work together” (51). The idea here is to create liveliness by maintaining a dynamic connection between different elements, instead of “manufacturing a predetermined outcome” (64). Because communities evolve and go through a natural cycle of birth, growth, and death, the authors suggested managing their development in stages. Through the book, they illustrated several stages of community development: potential, coalescing, maturing, stewardship, and transformation. At each stage communities have a different level of energy and visibility, which requires different activities. Because of these dynamics, the writes explain in great details about “the issues communities face during these stages and the activities that can help them develop”