Reweaving the World Communities beyond Organizations

 Previous chapters concentrated primarily on CoP inside organizations  Chapter 10 focuses communities beyond organizations

What is CoP? List the criterial attributes of CoP.

Subjects The Extended Knowledge System –Communities in Business-to-Business Cluster –Communities in Consumer Markets –Communities across Firms Civil Society Communities –Communities-based World Design –Learning Leadership from Business

The Extended Knowledge System Includes: suppliers, distributors, customers, and a variety of other partners and communities outside the firm. (P220) (See figure 10-I)

Communities in Business-to-Business  Knowledge-sharing ties the relationship of the suppliers, distributors and retailers. Examples: Tech Clubs Daimler-Chrysler ( Hallmark Clarica

Communities in Business-to-Business  Business transaction networks in common industry sectors form natural clusters that provide fertile soil for CoP. Example: Automobile and chemicals industry purchasing network on the Internet.

Communities in Business-to-Business  Toyota’s approach: Three-pronged knowledge- sharing network among its suppliers.  A supplier association create a general but weak ties among all suppliers.  A consulting group provides education and direct assistance.  A set of “voluntary study group” build strong multilateral ties among specific suppliers.

Communities in Consumer Markets “Business need knowledgeable consumers as well as knowledge from these consumers. In turn, consumers benefit from firms that really understand their needs”. (p222)  Consumer community’s influence to business.  Potential to create loyalty to a brand or service. - putting “community before commerce”

Communities across Firms  Interorganizational partnerships Ideal vehicles for realizing the knowledge potential that exists across firms.  mergers  Joint ventures  alliances  Interorganizational communities of practice: Colleagues inside and across firms in relevant areas of communities of practices  Looser learning network:  Interorganizational consortia  Relationship with universities  Professional associations  Learning networks of firms that collaborate on shared problems

Civil Society Apply a community-based approach to cultivate our worldwide learning capacity. Examples:  Boost 4 Kids civic learning network: This CoP includes skills and techniques related to delivering the education, nutrition, and other basic programs that serve children and families.  CEOs for Cities: To spur economic development in cities by influencing national policy, sponsoring research, and fostering practitioner networks that will accelerate innovation and learning across cities.

Community-based World Design  Civic communities of practice should beyond national borders.  The role of the World Bank:  World development approach  Community of mayors from the capital cities in Central America.  “Worldwide web” - View the world as a learning system.

Community-based World Design  As a CKO, how to design the world as a learning system: the applications of CoP inside an organization.  Challenges:  How to govern CoPs of civil societies  How formal organizations foster CoPs  Going global

Learning Leadership from Business An attempt of this book is to show in practical ways how community-based approaches can be applied to organizing for knowledge.  Knowledge-driven economy  Business in the lead of exploring CoPs  CoPs continue to proliferate as knowledge-based structures  CoPs beyond organizations and firms  CoPs in civic society: organize citizens with common interests in housing, parenting, health, education, arts, etc.

Learning Leadership from Business Firms that understand how to translate the power of communities into successful knowledge organizations will be the architects of tomorrow … because they will serve as a learning laboratory for exploring how to design the world as a learning system.