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CoPs in Information Service Organisations: a wild goose
chase?
Paper Presentation by Johann van Wyk at the
HICSA Meeting held on 2 November 2005
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Introduction
• Knowledge:Tacit or Explicit• Knowledge Management• Learning Organisation• Communities of Practice (CoPs)• Stages in the development of CoPs• CoPs in an Academic Library: Case
Study: Academic Information Service, University of Pretoria
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Knowledge
• Explicit knowledge
• Tacit knowledge
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Communities of Practice
KnowledgeManagement
Learning Organisations
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Knowledge Management
• Definition:
- Utilisation and exploitation of all knowledge assets of organisation
- Including all its info and its human experience and expertise
- Ensure sustainability and competitive advantage
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KM Definition (Cont.)
- Utilises its culture, processes and infrastructure to
- Create, identify, capture, share, use & re-use knowledge
- Adding optimal value to client’s knowledge base
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Learning organisations
• Definition:
“An organisation that can identify, developand utilize its tacit and explicit knowledge capabilities, enabling the organisation to expand its capacity to learn and grow, and to modify its behaviour to reflect new knowledge and insights, and in doing so to improve its performance and success”.
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Communities of Practice (CoPs)• Background:- Social groups: e.g. Drinking clubs, Roman
Collegia, Guilds, Caste System in India, regiments, old-boy-networks, peer groups and gangs.
- Academic groups: e.g. Royal Society, American Philosophical Society
- Informal Academic Groups: Invisible Colleges- Xerox: Communities of Professionals- Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger
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What is a Community of Practice?
“A Community of Practice is a network of people emerging spontaneously, and held together by informal relationships and common purpose, that share common knowledge or a specific domain, expertise and tools, and learn from one another”.
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Communities of Practice
KnowledgeManagement
Learning Organisations
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Capturing knowledge through CoPs
• Storytelling
• Role-play/scenarios
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Capturing knowledge through CoPs (Cont.)
• Knowledge Mapping
orgnet.com
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Case Study: Academic Information Service (AIS), University of Pretoria,
South Africa
• Background• Respondents• Method: Literature study and Interviews
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CoPs identified in the AIS
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Cross Organisational CoPs
CoP
Academic department at
other University
Academic Department
Other library
GovernmentDepartment
AIS
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Knowledge Management Practitioners Group of Pretoria
• http://www.kmpg.org
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GCATS (GAELIC Cataloguers)
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Maritime Archaeology Group
Maritime Archaeology
Lecturer
Researchers from
Cape Town
Students
Information Specialist
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Virtual Group on Water Research
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Virtual Group on Architecture
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African Goats Group
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Internal CoPs in the AIS
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Information Specialists Group
Humanities
Natural & Agric.
Sciences and
Engineering
Economic and
Management Sciences
Law
Groenkloof (Education)
Theology & Sociological
Sciences
Medical Sciences
Veterinary sciences
General
Information
Specialists Group
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Digital Repositories Group
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Informal Network for E-Information Experts
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Stages in development of a CoP
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Results
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Role of Management
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Time to participate
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Workload
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Rewards or Incentives
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New Members
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Size of the CoP
• Ideal size: 15 – 20 members
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Trust
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Coordination or Facilitation role in the CoP
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Formal v Informal
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Information Technology
• E-mail and Listservs
• Telephone and Teleconferencing
• Web Pages
• Virtual Workspaces on Portals, e.g. InfoPortal of UP
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Conclusion
• Are CoPs in Information Service Organisations a wild goose chase?
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Stages in development of a CoP
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PotentialDefinition The possibility for the formation
of a community exists.
Fundamental function Connection.
Possible role of information specialist/librarian
Identify suitable candidates to join;
Market CoP to potential members;
Identify existing communities;
Sell CoP to management for support;
Conduct interviews and facilitate group dialogue;
Act as Community Champion or coach a Community champion.
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FormationDefinition The members come together,
form a community and set out its operating principles.
Fundamental function Capturing memory, context creation and structuring.
Possible role of information specialist/librarian
Act as facilitator;
Set up, facilitate and document informal meetings;
Map knowledge flows and knowledge relationships;
Build group identity by setting up a homepage or designing a virtual workspace.
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CommitmentDefinition The community executes and
improves its processes.
Fundamental function Access and learning.
Possible role of information specialist/librarian
Design knowledge capture and documentation systems;
Design, convene and facilitate seminars and conferences;
Develop support strategies for the group learning agenda.
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ActiveDefinition The community understands and
demonstrates benefits from knowledge sharing and the collective work of the community.
Fundamental function Collaboration.
Possible role of information specialist/librarian
Encourage members to stay committed;
Make online links to members' papers;
Publish stories on individuals or communities in newsletters or other corporate-wide publications;
Address organizational issues that are helping or hindering activity;
Help negotiate role of CoP in organizational decision-making;
Forge linkages with other groups and communities.
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Scenario 1 – AdaptiveDefinition The community adapts to
changes in the environment
Fundamental function Innovation and generation
Possible role of information specialist/librarian
Mentor/teacher
Facilitator
Innovator
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Scenario 2 – Disengage and DisperseDefinition The usefulness of the community
for its members and supporting organization has been outlived, and its members move on
Fundamental function Disengagement
Possible role of information specialist/librarian
Facilitate
Convene reunions
Maintain directory
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Conclusion