I was applying Wenger’s work to another community. Findings included how to do things v. how to get things done; that orgs in seeking to ‘harness’ info may lose important tacit information; that tacit info is often shared via meaningful interaction with other practitioners, not by storing in a database.

Discussion included suggestion that orgs would better view CoPs as places for exemplary performers to engage with one another rather than a vehicle for capturing data for org to use. Also that practioners do not necessarily see their knowledge as something the org ‘owns’, but as something to share freely for the common good. Overall recommendation was that CoPs need to be nurtured, not managed.

It’s at http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/theses/available/etd-11042008-150721/unrestricted/etd.pdf if you want to take a look.