Communities of Practice are currently attracting much interest among academics, consultants and in commercial organisations. Academic researchers are undertaking research into how CoPs can be supported, the relationships within them and how this can help support the generation of new knowledge. Similarly, consultants in the field are developing tools and techniques for supporting, coaching and facilitating CoPs, advising organisations as to how they can identify and nurture CoPs and seeking to demonstrate how organisations can benefit from them | Knowledge Networks Innovation Through Communities of Practice PAUL HILDRETH AND CHRIS KIMBLE Knowledge Networks Innovation Through Communities of Practice Paul M. Hildreth K-Now International United Kingdom Chris Kimble University of York United Kingdom IDEA GROUP PUBLISHING Hershey London Melbourne Singapore Acquisitions Editor Senior Managing Editor Managing Editor Development Editor Copy Editor Typesetter Cover Design Printed at Mehdi Khosrow-Pour Jan Travers Amanda Appicello Michele Rossi Ingrid Widitz Sara Reed Lisa Tosheff Integrated Book Technology Published in the United States of America by Idea Group Publishing an imprint of Idea Group Inc. 701 E. Chocolate Avenue Suite 200 Hershey PA 17033 Tel 717-533-8845 Fax 717-533-8661 E-mail cust@ Web site http and in the United Kingdom by Idea Group Publishing an imprint of Idea Group Inc. 3 Henrietta Street Covent Garden London WC2E 8LU Tel 44 20 7240 0856 Fax 44 20 7379 3313 Web site http Copyright 2004 by Idea Group Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photocopying without written permission from the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Knowledge networks innovation through communities of practice Paul Hildreth editor Chris Kimble editor. p. cm. ISBN 1-59140-200-X hardcover ISBN 1-59140-270-0 softcover ISBN 1-59140-201-8 ebook 1. Knowledge management. 2. Organizational learning. I. Hildreth Paul M. 1959- II. Kimble Chris. 2004 038 dc22 2003022608 British Cataloguing in Publication Data A Cataloguing in Publication record for this book is available from the British Library. All work contributed to this book is new previously-unpublished material. The views expressed in this book are those of the authors but not necessarily of the .
