Building commitment through reflective practice: an inside‐out approach

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to (re)introduce the concept of Community of Commitment and Practice (CoCP) and to discuss the types of learning that occur in the process. It describes the differences between CoCP and the commonly‐known Community of Practice (CoP), emphasizing the power of commitment as crucial for organizational development. Design/methodology/approach – A Singapore case study was used as a basis for identifying the conceptual and practical relevance of CoCP to organizational practice. A literature review based on relevant concepts provides the theoretical perspective for understanding the occurrence of learning in organizational contexts. Findings – CoCP promotes reflective action learning and reflective action taking driven by an inside‐out approach. Intrinsic learning is largely influenced by the intent and motivation of individuals rather than a top‐down (outside‐in) approach. Practical implications – The reflective inquiry and collaborative learning process of CoCP help build individuals as agents of change as they not only seek to do things differently but also influence others to make the organization a better workplace. In turn, they become reflective practitioners as they view constraints as opportunities for further learning to achieve specific outcomes. Originality/value – The usefulness of CoCP is supported by relevant research and its impact on organizations is wide ranging. The paper elucidates an integrative perspective of the CoCP processes, providing a roadmap for developing the learning organization.