Develop wiki page about [Communities] the class in Knowledge management - Assignment Example

Communities in Knowledge Management== ===Introduction Knowledge management as a deals with a variety of disciplines that encompass various aspects of management conducted within organizations, and between individuals. The study is relatively new in the specification, but has been practiced since the initiation of trading. Man has been oblivious of the topic, even though its mention inculcates an impression of being new (Christensen 90). Knowledge management describes imperative aspects of the management sector, which emerges as inevitable for any self-respecting firm that aims for utmost gains.

Among the most pertinent issues tackled in the knowledge management class, are the communities, and the role played in the business management. The passage delves into the crucial aspects of the community that are experienced in the course of managing enterprises. : Communities range by definition from those individuals with whom services are provided alongside, to those at the end of the chain, who are recipients. Either way, management relies upon these entities, with no decision being advanced without their influence.

The communities that are involved in serving are termed as communities of practice. This reference is derived from the act of sharing the best practices for improvement of efficiency in conducting activities that are paramount to the organization (Cindy, O’Dell and Susan 28). Thus, the sharing of best practices usually occurs within ‘’’communities of practice’’’, as these speak a common language, which not only enables the transfer of information, but also of know-how in the form of diligent practices.

It is the community of practice that enables individuals to understand information in a uniform manner and thus share knowledge. If individuals are engaged in different practices, if they are learning to be different kinds of people, then they will respond to the information in different ways. ===Merits of communities=== : With the emergence of new technologies, the aspect of communities has been utilized to accrue maximum knowledge from members, whenever projects are being undertaken. Knowledge is used and created in a decentralized manner and is defined within local communities rather than universal institutions.

The social complexity of human resources stems from the network of relationships that allows them to gather information on new opportunities or developments within the sector (Coakes, Elayne, and Steve 17). The social complexity within communities of practice has, among other things, been designated social capital and defined as those resources that are integrated-and accessible from the individual’s social relationships. : Even the most prolific of ‘’’communities of practices’’’ encounter hard-to-grasp resources, which are a result of individuals processing tacit knowledge, which though expressed through action, is difficult to make explicit and transmit to colleagues.

Moreover, it is also difficult for e.g. competitors to grasp how implicit knowledge through capabilities contributes to competitive advantages. The application of tacit knowledge is not immediately understandable to the company’s management and can result in informational dilemmas (Christensen 89). For example, it can be difficult for management to check whether participants in project work are contributing equally to the project, as the application of tacit knowledge in communities of practice is often unobservable by persons outside the community of practice.

===A Major Disadvantage=== : Although communities of practice are seen to contain several advantages, they require proper monitoring failure to which, multiple disadvantages are manifested. Since these systems are constructed and managed at the top, the rest of the workers might feel sidelined. In little corporations, the probability that communities autonomously emerge and take care of diligently defined knowledge management issues is close to zero (Coakes, Elayne, and Steve 22). ===Conclusion=== Therefore, the analysis presents a more effective approach that reveals communities as constructive elements of management, which when explored well, could result in desirable output in firms.

The issue, perhaps, explains why firms have adopted the technique and capitalized in its utilization, while applying modifications that increase the gains obtained. Works Cited Christensen, Peter H. Knowledge Management: Perspectives and Pitfalls. Copenhagen: Copenhagen Business School Press, 2003. Print. Coakes, Elayne, and Steve Clarke. Encyclopedia of Communities of Practice in Information and Knowledge Management. Hershey, PA: Idea Group Reference, 2006. Internet resource. ODell, Carla S, Susan Elliott, and Cindy Hubert.

Knowledge Management: A Guide for Your Journey to Best-Practice Processes. Houston, TX: American Productivity & Quality Center, 2000. Internet resource.