In "Cultivating Communities of Practice," Etienne Wenger, Richard McDermott, and William M. Snyder argue that while communities form naturally, organizations need to become more proactive and systematic about developing and integrating them into their strategy. This book provides practical models and methods for stewarding these communities to reach their full potential - without squelching the inner drive that makes them so valuable. Practical, yet grounded in rich theory, "Cultivating Communities of Practice" is the definitive work on how to understand organizations from a community point of view.

Instructor Resource Center (IRC) Collection. Some copies ordered for SCP

Communities of practice and their value to organizations -- Communities of practice and their structural elements -- Seven principles for cultivating communities of practice -- The early stages of development: planning and launching communities of practice -- The mature stages of development: growing and sustaining communities of practice -- The challenge of distributed communities -- The downside of communities of practice -- Measuring and managing value creation -- Community-based knowledge initiatives -- Reweaving the world: communities beyond organizations.