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Wiki-Based CoPs
Using Wiki Technology to Create
Communities of PracticeDonna A. Dickson and Steve Boese
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Wiki-Based CoPs
Introductions
Donna A. DicksonAssistant Professor and Program Chair
Rochester Institute of Technology, M.S. in Human Resource Development
President, WorkSmart Learning Systems Inc. Full service consulting company, supporting
performance improvement initiatives in global companies of all types and sizes
Headquartered in the U.S. with partners in South Africa and Australia
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Wiki-Based CoPs
Introductions
Steve BoeseMasters Degree Candidate Human Resource Development, Rochester
Institute of Technology
ERP Analyst, Rochester Institute of Technology
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Wiki-Based CoPs
Agenda
On the Same Page
Trends
Communities of Practice (CoP)
Use of Wiki Technology for CoPs
Benefits of Wiki-based CoPs for HRD faculty
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Wiki-Based CoPs
On the Same Page
Phrases: Professional Association
Workgroup
Community of Practice
Social Network
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Wiki-Based CoPs
On the Same Page
Professional Association
A body that exists to further a particular line of work
Members elect to participate and are drawn together by their common career
WorkgroupA body that exists to fulfill an organizational role/need
Members participate as a condition of employment
Community of Practice
A body that forms based on what matters to its members
Members choose to participate based on the perceived value of the interaction with other members
Social Network
A body that forms based on all manner of relationships, physical proximity, and/or commonalities
Members are drawn in based on their relationships to others, and may also choose to participate based on common interests and needs
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Wiki-Based CoPs
Trends
76 million Baby Boomers (1/3 of U.S. workforce) may retire in large numbers by end of the decade, potentially taking with them an immense volume of business-critical knowledge
(Foster, 2005)
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Wiki-Based CoPs
Trends
Organizations that fail to understand the risks of this imminent knowledge drain to their competitiveness, in a marketplace that requires innovation and responsiveness, will suffer significant consequences
(Foster, 2005)
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Wiki-Based CoPs
Trends
A growing number of organizations rely on their employee’s knowledge-related capabilities versus their physical labor to achieve business goals
Capturing and sharing that knowledge becomes key to business success
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Wiki-Based CoPs
Communities of Practice
A collection of individuals drawn together by what matters to them (what they are passionate about) and, through interactions with one another, develop knowledge that not only enhances their individual capabilities, but consequently enhances the capabilities of the larger organization
(Knapp, 2008)
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Wiki-Based CoPs
Communities of Practice
CoP is a social structure focused on knowledge and enabling the management of that knowledge by the practitioners themselves
(Wenger, 2004)
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Wiki-Based CoPs
Communities of Practice
Research at IBM Institute for Knowledge Management finds as organizations grow in geographical scope and technical complexity, CoPs can have a positive impact on performance
(Lesser & Storck, 2001)
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Wiki-Based CoPs
Communities of Practice
Organizational benefits of CoPs: Potential to overcome inherent problems of a slow-
moving hierarchy in a fast-moving economy Effectiveness in handling unstructured problems and
sharing knowledge outside of the traditional structural boundaries
Provide a means of developing and maintaining long-term organizational memory
(Lesser & Storck, 2001)
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Wiki-Based CoPs
Communities of Practice
(Lesser & Storck, 2001, pg 3)
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Wiki-Based CoPs
Communities of Practice
(Ambrozek & Bundsen, 2002)
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Wiki-Based CoPs
Communities of Practice
Xerox has a software-supported CoP for its more than 20,000 field service engineers
(Laird, 1999)
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Wiki-Based CoPs
Communities of Practice
BP Global uses InTouch, a software-based tool created for the oil and gas industry, to connect its staff of 25,000 technical people
(Smith, 2001)
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Wiki-Based CoPs
Use of Wiki Technology for CoPs
Wiki is a type of server software that allows users to easily create and edit Web page content using any Web browser
(Cunningham, 2008)
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Wiki-Based CoPs
Use of Wiki Technology for CoPs
Why Wiki? It allows users to edit both the organization of
contributions and the content itself
It is easy to use
(Cunningham, 2008)
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Wiki-Based CoPs
Use of Wiki Technology for CoPs
(Young, 2008, pg 4)
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Wiki-Based CoPs
Use of Wiki Technology for CoPs
(Murphy, 2008, pg 1)
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Wiki-Based CoPs
Use of Wiki Technology for CoPs
From a human resources standpoint <communities of practice are> the first serious chance HR has to be strategic, by creating communities of practice in areas tactical to the business.
(Ambrozek & Bundsen, 2002)
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Wiki-Based CoPs
Benefits of CoPs for HRD faculty
HRD educators who are experienced in the use of wiki software can guide their students to adopt the same in their own organizations
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Wiki-Based CoPs
Benefits of CoPs for HRD faculty
Additionally, HRD educators can benefit from developing their own wiki-based CoPs:
Reduced need for meetings
Decreased number of e-mails
Ease of knowledge transfer to new faculty
Improved problem solving
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Wiki-Based CoPs
Our own CoPs
Ground rules
Whoever joins are the right people
Whatever happens is the right outcome
When its over, its over
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Wiki-Based CoPs
Questions?