A characteristic of group behavior is that it reflects not so much the needs and desires of the individual members as it does the charisma and beliefs of the leadership as well as the common goals and the structure that defines how individuals within the organization can relate to each another. One side effect of corporate organization is that it allows the formation of communities of practice, which are groups whose members regularly engage in sharing and learning. These communities contribute to social capital—connections, relationships, and common content—and thereby contribute to the bottom line by increasing innovation, decreasing the learning curve among members, and increasing the dissemination of ideas among members.
Communities of practice, having no agenda, deadline, or accountability, can’t be managed. They form because employees are naturally drawn together by similar activities and interests. Although communities of practice can form through informal water cooler interactions, in a large organization with a KM program, they are formally encouraged and supported. That is, in at least one interpretation of a successful knowledge organization, Knowledge Management is much more than simply managing information; it becomes part of the corporate social infrastructure that rewards and supports trust and cooperation among members, including the formation of communities of practice.
Implementing a KM program involves fundamental changes in how employees and managers interact, communicate, command, and get things done. Before reporting lines, responsibilities, and management directives shift to meet the KM demands of the corporation, employees and managers must be prepared for the change. However, since most people fear change, especially if it means disrupting a way of life that they’ve grown accustomed to, productivity can suffer unless employee expectations are managed proactively.
