Promoting Membership and Participation for Communities of Practice
Running Head: [Problem Analysis]
Problem Analysis: Promoting Membership and Participation for Communities of Practice
A Paper Presented To
Allen Stout
In partial fulfillment of the requirement of
MGMT 300, Management Practicum
University of La Verne
College of Business and Public Management
S Tinsley
La Verne, California
October 30, 2012
Introduction A community of practice (CoP) is, according to cognitive anthropologists Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger, a group of people who share a craft and/or a profession. The community may evolve naturally because of the members ' common interest or it can be created specifically with the goal of gaining knowledge related to their field. It is through the process of sharing information and experiences with the group that the members learn from each other, and have an opportunity to develop themselves personally and professionally (Lave & Wenger, 1991). CoPs can exist online, such as within discussion boards and newsgroups, or in real life through face to face meetings.
Communities of practice are not new phenomena. This type of learning practice has existed for as long as people have been learning and sharing their experiences through storytelling. Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger coined the phrase in their 1991 book, Situated Learning (Lave & Wenger, 1991), and Wenger then significantly expanded on the concept in his 1998 book, Communities of Practice (Wenger, Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning, and Identity, 1998).
Time is saved by consulting with members of a CoP. Members of the community have tacit knowledge, which can be difficult to store and retrieve outside. For example, one person can share the best way to handle a situation based on his experiences, which may enable the other person to avoid mistakes and shorten the learning curve. In a CoP, members can openly discuss and brainstorm about a project, which can lead to new capabilities. The type of information
Problem Analysis: Promoting Membership and Participation for Communities of Practice
A Paper Presented To
Allen Stout
In partial fulfillment of the requirement of
MGMT 300, Management Practicum
University of La Verne
College of Business and Public Management
S Tinsley
La Verne, California
October 30, 2012
Introduction A community of practice (CoP) is, according to cognitive anthropologists Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger, a group of people who share a craft and/or a profession. The community may evolve naturally because of the members ' common interest or it can be created specifically with the goal of gaining knowledge related to their field. It is through the process of sharing information and experiences with the group that the members learn from each other, and have an opportunity to develop themselves personally and professionally (Lave & Wenger, 1991). CoPs can exist online, such as within discussion boards and newsgroups, or in real life through face to face meetings.
Communities of practice are not new phenomena. This type of learning practice has existed for as long as people have been learning and sharing their experiences through storytelling. Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger coined the phrase in their 1991 book, Situated Learning (Lave & Wenger, 1991), and Wenger then significantly expanded on the concept in his 1998 book, Communities of Practice (Wenger, Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning, and Identity, 1998).
Time is saved by consulting with members of a CoP. Members of the community have tacit knowledge, which can be difficult to store and retrieve outside. For example, one person can share the best way to handle a situation based on his experiences, which may enable the other person to avoid mistakes and shorten the learning curve. In a CoP, members can openly discuss and brainstorm about a project, which can lead to new capabilities. The type of information
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