Information Technology is no longer regarded solely as a repository within knowledge management but also as acollaborative tool. This change of role gives rise to online communities (OLCs), which extend the loci of existing communities ofpractice. To leverage the potential of these communities, organisations must understand the mechanisms underpinningmembers' decisions to share knowledge and expertise within the community. This paper discusses existing research anddevelops a theoretical model of factors that affect knowledge sharing in OLCs. The aim is to increase our understanding of theantecedents to knowledge-sharing in OLCs
Wenger & Trayner | 27 December 2011 | As communities and networks go more mainstream there is an increasing demand from organizations to have ways of monitoring their value. How can we make the connection between the activities of a community and the improved performance of the organization? This value assessment framework, published by the Open University of the Netherlands, identifs five levels of value creation of a community or network:
Full Circle Associates | Nancy White | blog post + video clip | 15 December 2011 | Nancy White discusses various aspects of strengthening CoPs, mechanisms to measure their effectiveness and improve our understanding of how people are participating in CoPs.
Harold Jarche | blog post | 19 June 2012 | In networks, cooperation trumps collaboration. Collaboration happens around some kind of plan or structure, while cooperation presumes the freedom of individuals to join and participate. Cooperation is a driver of creativity.
The 2012 State of Community Management report examines the continued evolution of the social business industry and analyzes organizational patterns and lessons learned from industry leaders and practitioners. Also includes Community Maturity Model