Communities of practice as hybrids: Delving into the hybridization work of community leaders

Abstract

In this paper, we consider communities of practice (CoP) as hybrid organizational forms where two institutional logics coexist. They carry elements of a social logic, which highlights the importance of social ties in the sharing of knowledge between members. At the same time, they also bear elements of a business logic, which considers knowledge as an asset to be captured, diffused, controlled and aligned with company strategy. Through a case study of 15 CoP in a multinational company, we explore how community leaders make do with the hybrid nature of their community. We take an institutional work lens to unpack their micro actions. This research contributes to the literature on responses to hybrid forms of organizations. Our results show three different types of hybridization work carried out by CoP leaders: meaning, boundary and identity.