{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,18]],"date-time":"2026-06-18T14:57:34Z","timestamp":1781794654052,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":28,"publisher":"Emerald","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2014,4,7]],"date-time":"2014-04-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1396828800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/site-policies"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2014,4,7]]},"abstract":"\n Purpose<\/jats:title>\n \u2013 Since its introduction, the notion of Communities of Practice (CoPs) has gained immediate popularity, especially among Knowledge Management scholars. The paper aims at reviewing the past and discussing what has been done. In particular the purposes are: to assess the importance of CoPs in the KM literature; to trace how this notion is defined and used, both in practical and theoretical terms; to classify the approaches used by KM research on CoPs; to discuss the results that research and practice in CoPs have led so far, the open issues, and the potential role of this notion in a future KM research agenda.<\/jats:italic> \n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Design\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title>\n \u2013 The paper illustrates and discusses the findings of a systematic literature review on CoPs focusing on papers published in the most influential Knowledge Management and Intellectual Capital Journals.<\/jats:italic> \n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Findings<\/jats:title>\n \u2013 The study analyses 82 articles published in 12 different KM and IC leading journals from 1997 to 2012. Each article was examined to determine the following information: type of study; domain of application; research methodology applied and addressed topic. Emerging trends, open questions and further research needs are identified and discussed. In particular, an issue for researchers is the necessity to formulate an agreed definition of CoPs under the KM umbrella, which can also help to implement comparable empirical studies and to build theories that provide understanding of how CoPs can be managed.<\/jats:italic> \n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Practical implications<\/jats:title>\n \u2013 The outcomes of the review is particularly important for KM scholars dealing with CoPs, who can find suggestions for their future research. It can also provide food for thought to practitioners, by illustrating the state-of-the-art and prospects of this important organisational form. In addition, the paper highlights that, despite the huge amount of studies on this topic, the notion of CoP is still used in different ways and the specific experience of each company is difficult to generalise and transfer to other cases.<\/jats:italic> \n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Originality\/value<\/jats:title>\n \u2013 This is the most up-to-date analysis of research on CoPs in its elective field of application that is Knowledge Management.<\/jats:italic>\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/jkm-07-2013-0277","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2014,5,6]],"date-time":"2014-05-06T11:54:00Z","timestamp":1399377240000},"page":"366-381","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":68,"title":["The place of communities of practice in knowledge management studies: a critical review"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"18","author":[{"given":"Ettore","family":"Bolisani","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Enrico","family":"Scarso","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"140","reference":[{"key":"key2021010203132140600_b1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Agrawal, A.\n and \n Joshi, K.D.\n (2011), \u201cA review of community of practice in organizations: key findings and emerging themes\u201d, \n Proceedings of the 44th HICSS, Kauai, Hawaii, 4-7 January\n .","DOI":"10.1109\/HICSS.2011.26"},{"key":"key2021010203132140600_b2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Annabi, H.\n and \n McGann, S.T.\n (2013), \u201cSocial media as the missing link: connecting communities of practice to business strategy\u201d, \n Journal of Organizational Computing and Electronic Commerce\n , Vol. 23 Nos 1-2, pp. 56-83.","DOI":"10.1080\/10919392.2013.748608"},{"key":"key2021010203132140600_b3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Chua, A.Y.K.\n (2006), \u201cThe rise and fall of a community of practice: a descriptive case study\u201d, \n Knowledge and Process Management\n , Vol. 13 No. 2, pp. 120-128.","DOI":"10.1002\/kpm.239"},{"key":"key2021010203132140600_b4","unstructured":"Hansen, M.T.\n , \n Nohria, N.\n and \n Tierney, T.\n (1999), \u201cWhat\n\t\t\t\t\t'\n\t\t\t\ts your strategy for managing knowledge?\u201d, \n Harvard Business Review\n , Vol. 77 No. 2, pp. 106-116."},{"key":"key2021010203132140600_b5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Harvey, J-F.\n , \n Cohendet, P.\n , \n Simon, L.\n and \n Dubois, L-E.\n (2013), \u201cAnother cog in the machine: designing communities of practice in professional bureaucracies\u201d, \n European Management Journal\n , Vol. 31 No. 1, pp. 27-40.","DOI":"10.1016\/j.emj.2012.07.008"},{"key":"key2021010203132140600_b6","unstructured":"Hughes, J.\n , \n Jewson, N.\n and \n Unwin, L.\n (2007), \u201cCommunities of practice: a contested concept in flux\u201d, in \n Hughes, J.\n , \n Jewson, N.\n and \n Unwin, L.\n (Eds), \n Communities of Practice: Critical Perspectives\n , Routledge, London, pp. 1-16."},{"key":"key2021010203132140600_b7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Huysman, M.\n and \n Wulf, V.\n (2006), \u201cIT to support the knowledge sharing in communities, towards a social capital analysis\u201d, \n Journal of Information Technology\n , Vol. 21 No. 1, pp. 40-51.","DOI":"10.1057\/palgrave.jit.2000053"},{"key":"key2021010203132140600_b8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Lave, J.\n and \n Wenger, E.\n (1991), \n Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation\n , Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.","DOI":"10.1017\/CBO9780511815355"},{"key":"key2021010203132140600_b9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Lesser, E.L.\n and \n Storck, J.\n (2001), \u201cCommunities of practice and organizational performance\u201d, \n IBM Systems Journal\n , Vol. 40 No. 4, pp. 831-841.","DOI":"10.1147\/sj.404.0831"},{"key":"key2021010203132140600_b10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Li, L.C.\n , \n Grimshaw, J.M.\n , \n Nielsen, C.\n , \n Judd, M.\n , \n Coyte, P.C.\n and \n Graham, I.D.\n (2009a), \u201cEvolution of Wenger\n\t\t\t\t\t'\n\t\t\t\ts concept of community of practice\u201d, \n Implementation Science\n , Vol. 4 No. 11.","DOI":"10.1186\/1748-5908-4-11"},{"key":"key2021010203132140600_b11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Li, L.C.\n , \n Grimshaw, J.M.\n , \n Nielsen, C.\n , \n Judd, M.\n , \n Coyte, P.C.\n and \n Graham, I.D.\n (2009b), \u201cUse of communities of practice in business and health care sectors: a systematic review\u201d, \n 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