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Dualities, distributed communities of practice and knowledge management

Chris Kimble (Lecturer in Information Systems in the Department of Computer Science at the University of York, Heslington, UK. Before moving to York, he was lecturer at the University of Newcastle's Business School, and a researcher for the Business School and Department of Computer Science at the University of Northumbria. His broad area of research is Knowledge Management. His areas of particular interest are communities of practice and the problems associated with supporting distributed working in a cross‐cultural or trans‐national context. He is the academic contact for Knowledge Management for the World‐wide Universities Network (WUN) at the University of York and is a member of the editorial board of the journal Information Research.)
Paul Hildreth (After 11 years teaching Modern Languages, Paul Hildreth returned to university studies and pursued a course in IT, completing both an MSc and a DPhil and focusing his work in the field of Knowledge Management, specifically exploring the emerging and fascinating field of communities of practice and their impact on knowledge management efforts. Having completed his DPhil, he now runs his own independent Knowledge Management and computer consultancies.)

Journal of Knowledge Management

ISSN: 1367-3270

Article publication date: 1 August 2005

3710

Abstract

Purpose

This main aim of this article is to explore the relationship between knowledge management (KM) and communities of practice (CoPs) in general and virtual CoPs in particular. A subsidiary aim is to provide some practical guidelines about how virtual CoPs can be facilitated and maintained.

Design/methodology/approach

The relationship between KM and CoPs is explored using theoretical constructs, the notion of a duality, and data from a case study. The article reports on a case study of a “virtual” CoP and highlights two key aspects of virtual working. The article demonstrates how these key aspects map on to Wenger's participation‐reification duality and, in turn, on to the soft‐hard duality described by Hildreth and Kimble.

Findings

The case study of a “virtual” CoP was based in three geographically separate locations (the UK, the USA, and Japan). The case study reports on the activities of the UK part of the CoP both at their UK base and during one of their regular trips to the USA. It highlights the importance of two particular aspects or virtual working: social relationships and the use of shared artefacts.

Practical implications

Some general conclusions are drawn from the analysis concerning the facilitation of virtual CoPs and the broader implications of dualities for KM.

Originality/value

The main contribution of the article is in making an explicit link between KM and CoPs through the use of the notion of the duality of knowledge.

Keywords

Citation

Kimble, C. and Hildreth, P. (2005), "Dualities, distributed communities of practice and knowledge management", Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 9 No. 4, pp. 102-113. https://doi.org/10.1108/13673270510610369

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2005, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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