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Ict Enhanced Communities Of Practice: Respecting And Maintaning The Duality Between Organisations And Practices, Dirk Postma

Dirk Postma

Communities of practice (CoPs) are increasingly recognised as an important mechanism through which goods are created. Current conceptualisations of CoPs don’t, however, acknowledge adequately the inherent tensions between practices and the organisations within which they function. This failure leads to an inadequate understanding of ways in which organisations should interact with relevant CoPs. It is assumed in these conceptualisations that CoPs can be managed, like any other asset, in the process of creating benefit for the organisation. This paper draws on MacIntyre’s understanding of practices and institutions and on Lave & Wenger’s notion of CoPs. The paper argues that the …