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Knowledge Sharing and Communities of Practice 175

but explicitly or implicitly “ vouched for ” because it is being sent to you from a trusted,
credible source.

Practical Implications of Knowledge Sharing

Whereas CoPs do emerge and run on their own, a minimal level of investment and
support is crucial ( Wenger, McDermott, and Snyder 2002 ). First and foremost, senior
management should ensure that the organizational climate or culture is one that
encourages networking. In addition to fi nancial support, it is important that employ-
ees are given the time they need to fulfi ll their knowledge-sharing roles and respon-
sibilities. They will need a physical place to meet for the face-to-face meetings that
should occur at least once a year. They should receive a travel budget if one is required.
Their group membership should be recognized and evaluated as part of the perfor-
mance review. Additional resources such as community moderators, journalists, librar-
ians, taxonomists, and archivists should be facilitated as well. Experience has shown
that one of the most important factors contributing to the success of a community is
that of an active and effective facilitator.
A conversation is more than an intellectual endeavor: it is a fundamentally social
process, as is learning. People need to connect. They need to speak to an audience,
note how they are being received, and adjust accordingly. People portray themselves
through conversations — bringing forth personal agendas, personal style, taking credit,
and sharing blame. In a virtual world, it is important to realize that all such connec-
tions and conversations are public, and that once digitized, conversations can persist.
This means that anyone can access them at some time in the future. It is important
for knowledge-sharing interactions to be maintained at a professional level at all times
and that all members of a virtual network are aware of and agree to adhere to a pro-
fessional code of ethics, both online and offl ine.

Key Points

• The cost of not fi nding information is extremely high — both for individuals and for
the organization as a whole.
• It is not always about knowing what, but “ knowing who knows what, ” which can
take the form of a corporate yellow pages or expertise location system.
• Learning is a primarily social activity.