Social Business - The CIO's Guide to Oracle Products and Solutions - page 137

explored process issues, discussed lessons learned, and shared tools and
techniques. CoPs can be more or less structured, depending on the needs
of the membership.
CoPs provide a mechanism for sharing knowledge throughout one
organization or across several organizations. They lead to an improved
network of organizational contacts, provide opportunities for peer-group
recognition, and support continuous learning, all of which reinforce
knowledge transfer and contribute to better results. They are valuable for
sharing tacit (implicit) knowledge.
To be successful, CoPs require support from the organization(s).
However, if management closely controls their agendas and methods of
operation, they are seldom successful. This is more of an issue for com-
munities of practice within organizations.
Communities of practice can be used virtually anywhere within an
organization: within one organizational unit or across organizational
boundaries, with a small or large group of people, in one geographical
location or multiple locations, etc. They can also be used to bring together
people from multiple companies, organized around a profession, shared
roles, or common issues.
CoPs create value when there is tacit information that, if shared, leads
to better results for individuals and the organization. They are also valu-
able in situations where knowledge is being constantly gained and where
sharing this knowledge is beneficial to the accomplishment of the organi-
zation's goals.
There are different kinds of CoPs. Some develop best practices; some
create guidelines; and others meet to share common concerns, problems,
and solutions. They can connect in different ways: face to face, in small or
large meetings, or electronically. These virtual communities of practice
are simply called VCoPs.
VCoPs (as well as face-to-face CoPs) need a way to capture their col-
lective experiences for online examination. Daimler AG does this using
something they call the EBOK (engineering topic of knowledge) system.
It provides best-practice information on pretty much everything related
to the manufacture of cars. Tech CoPs share knowledge related across
car processes and then consolidate this knowledge within the EBOK
system.
CoPs provide a great degree of what academics refer to as social capital .
It is social capital that provides the motivation and commitment required
to populate knowledge stores such as EBOK. One of the more recent