Communities of Practice and Other Organizational Groups

Abstract

A general challenge in communities of practice (CoP) research and practice is how this concept can be distinguished from related terms such as project teams, workgroups, and knowledge networks. What criteria determine whether a group qualifies as a CoP? While these different concepts share several common characteristics, there are also important distinguishing features. Acknowledging these differences is important when assessing which former knowledge and research streams to build upon, and for increasing the level of precision in CoP research. In this article we provide a brief comparison of related terms, based on a set of distinguishing dimensions.