1 research outputs found
In search of innovative capabilities of communities of practice : a systematic review and typology for future research
The concept of communities of practice has generated considerable debate among scholars of management.
Attention has shifted from a concern with the transmission and reproduction of knowledge towards their
utility for enhancing innovative potential. Questions of governance, power, collaboration and control have
all entered the debate with different theorizations emerging from a wide mix of empirical research. We
appraise these key findings through a critical review of the literature. From a divergent range of findings,
we identify four main ways in which communities of practice enable and constrain innovative capabilities
as (a) enablers of learning for innovation, (b) situated platforms for professional occupations, (c) dispersed
collaborative environments and (d) governance structures designed for purpose. Our conclusion signals the
way forward for further research that could be used to improve our understanding of different contextual
forms and how they may align with organizations in enabling rather than constraining innovative capabilities