(COPs) - a self-organized, deliberate collaboration of people who share common practices, interests or aims and want to advance their knowledge. When the community proves useful to its members over time, they may formalize their status by adopting a group name and a regular system of interchange. View records related to this term
A group of people, with the same goals and interests, who use common practices, tools, and language to undertake a shared enterprise.
Networks of individuals from the same or related disciplines who come together to develop/share knowledge for mutual benefit.
aka affinity groups; A) informal networks and forums, where tips are exchanged and ideas generated. () B) a group of professionals, informally bound to one another through exposure to a common class of problems, common pursuit of solutions, and thereby themselves embodying a store of knowledge. ()
are online communities of people who share the same profession, situation, or vocation. These communities facilitate professional exchange, allow members to establish a bond of common experience or challenges.
Networks of people who work on similar processes or in similar disciplines, and who come together to develop and share their knowledge in that field for the benefit of both themselves and their organisation(s). They may be created formally or informally, and they can interact online or in person. Related term: Communities of interest.
A group of people bound by a shared interest, purpose, or practice. Within communities of practice, people share ideas and knowledge in many different ways, including real-time collaborative sessions, newsletters, and links to Websites. Communities of practice are often more flexible than formal networks in filling in gaps for community members about how formal training, policies, and procedures work in the "real" world.
Informal groups of people who share information and knowledge. A term originally coined in Xerox Parc to describe "peers in the execution of real work", as opposed to formally constituted teams. Examples are CoPs that work virtually in electronic communities (q.v.). CoPs are playing an increasingly important part in knowledge management (q.v.), particularly for tacit knowledge sharing across departmental boundaries.
Distributed groups of people who share a concern, set of problems, mandate or sense of purpose. As (often) informal groups of experts, Communities of Practice serve to reconnect individuals with each other in self-organizing, boundary-spanning communities. Communities of Practice complement existing structures by promoting collaboration, information exchange, and sharing of best practices across boundaries of time, distance, and organizational hierarchies. Consultation – It is a process that facilitates the receipt of feedback and input on an issue. There are two key roles in any consultation; those requesting the input, or the host, and those providing the input, or the participant. Key elements: It is a process, not an outcome. Consultation impacts on a decision through influence, rather than power. Consultation is about input into decision-making, not joint decisionmaking or decision-making by referendum.
Networks of people who work together in an organization and who regularly share information and knowledge. Such people may be, but aren't necessarily, part of formal teams or units. They often collaborate on particular projects or products, or they hold the same or similar jobs. They have been described as "peers in the execution of real work." Communities of practice are held together by shared goals and a need to learn from each other ("The People Are the Company,"by John Seely Brown and Esther Solomon Gray, Fast Company, February 1997).
