Intranet Use and the Emergence of Networks of Practice

Abstract

Communities of practice (CoPs) are key to today’s knowledge management (Schultze & Leidner, 2002; Von Krogh, 2002). Moreover, the capability of exchanging professional knowledge beyond distance has become a strategic asset for innovative firms. How can members of local CoPs exchange knowledge with remote colleagues and create networks of practice (NoPs)? This article contends that the use of information technology (IT), and more specifically, of intranet systems, is especially suited to link local CoPs to an overall network of practice.