Communities of practice and organizational learning: case study of a global IT solutions company

Purpose – In today's dynamic business environment knowledge is overturning the old rules of strategy and competition. In this context, communities of practice (CoPs) have recently found a distinct position as a learning and change tool. The aim of this paper is to understand the critical role that CoPs have been found to play in organizational learning and knowledge sharing. Design/methodology/approach – The study is built mainly around the “how” question related to organizational CoPs within a social context. It makes use of a case study approach to map and describe the relationships between CoPs and organizational learning and knowledge sharing in a midsized global IT solutions company. Findings – The results show that CoPs could be significant for learning and sharing and gaining organizational competitive advantage. To achieve this, they require a supportive culture and management team. Research limitations/implications – The main limitation is the use of a single case study. Practical implications – It was found that businesses must guide and nurture CoPs thoroughly. If an organization ignores cultural support, CoPs will fail to promote organizational learning. Therefore, organizational culture plays a bridge role to connect CoPs and organizational learning. Originality/value – The paper points to the need for starting and developing CoPs in a way that contributes to organizational learning. It adds empirical insight from an Indian point of view to the existing literature on CoPs and organizational learning.