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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 economyEffectiveness 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?