The Genesis of the Communities of Practice in the Knowledge-based Economy

Communities of practice (CoPs) have become increasingly influential within management literature and practice since being identified as an important mechanism through which individual, organizational and social knowledge is held, transferred and created. Their theoretical roots lie in the situated learning approach, but they have spread to the field of knowledge management, emerging as an important tool that managers and practitioners should know why, how and when to utilize. Doing so, however, is not a task without difficulties. First, because CoPs are, in some ways, spontaneous organizational forms that evolve over time due to their own affiliation process and their members’ activities. Second, because each firm and organization has to design its own set of tools to achieve its objectives and CoPs are just one of these tools. And third, because the interactions between CoPs and the inter and intra-organizational context of the firm is not yet fully understood and requires a deep consciousness and a systemic view. This Handbook of Research tries to connect academia with practitioners to achieve a more sound understanding of the managerial implications of CoPs as well as their opportunities and limits for knowledge management, which will foster innovation and help organizations to improve performance.