Abstract
Background: Effective communities of practice undoubtedly impact organisations’ knowledge management and contribute towards building a learning-organisation culture. Communities of practice represent an environment conducive to learning and for exchanging ideas, and they are a formal learning forum. However, the level of organisational learning to which communities of practice contribute is difficult to measure.Objectives: The research was conducted to analyse the impact of communities of practice on building a learning organisation. The organisational system, culture and people offer the key towards leveraging knowledge as a strategic resource in a learning organisation. The awareness of the organisation concerning knowledge management was measured on a replicated knowledge management maturity model.Method: The organisational knowledge base was analysed prior to the implementation of the communities of practice and was compared to the situation three years later. The research was based on experiential learning cycles that consisted of five consequential but perpetual stages,namely reflect, plan, act, observe and reflect again.Results: The results indicated that communities of practice were instrumental in leveraging the organisation to the next level in the knowledge-management maturity model. A collaboration framework was developed for each business unit to work towards a common goal by harnessing the knowledge that was shared.Conclusion: Although a positive impact by communities of practice is visible, an instrument for the measurement of intellectual capital is necessary. It is recommended that the monetary value of knowledge as an asset is determined so that the value of the potential intellectual capital can be measured.
Highlights
Communities of practice (CoP) have become an imperative element in accumulating and maintaining an organisation’s intellectual capital (IC) (Davel & Snyman 2005)
CoPs are platforms used as change enablers whilst continuously gaining new knowledge by experiencing in practice or in action; this is not unlike the action-learning groups which are utilised for Participatory Action Research (PAR)
Knowledge-management implementation at MultiChoice has been a relatively slow process, yet the level in the knowledge management maturity model, namely knowledge managed through strategic leadership and direction, is within reach
Summary
Communities of practice (CoP) have become an imperative element in accumulating and maintaining an organisation’s intellectual capital (IC) (Davel & Snyman 2005). CoPs are strategic knowledge-management tool utilised in an effort to capture and share tacit knowledge (Wenger 2007). CoPs are proving to be a breakthrough for organisations to identify and manage their tacit intellectual assets so that these can become explicit sources to be utilised as IC. The advantage of a CoP is that members of that community in an organisation are peers and are alike for that reason, regardless of job titles and positions. This equality is the result of the relationship on which a CoP is based. Effective communities of practice undoubtedly impact organisations’ knowledge management and contribute towards building a learning-organisation culture. The level of organisational learning to which communities of practice contribute is difficult to measure
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