Communities of practice chapter2

Communities of practice embrace many forms.They can be big or small,long or short-lived,collocated or distributed;a big part of them can even cross the boundries between companies.
Although they take various forms,they all share a basic structure,that is composed of three fundamental elements:a domain of knowledge,a community of people and a share practice.Their importance is given by the fact that all three of them represent the "basis" of the communities.For example,the domain creates common ground and a sense of common identity;the community of people helps ideas to run"freely" between the members and it also creates a bond between them;finally,the practice is the knowledge the community maintains,shares and develops.
Their primary purpose is to help the staff work better,to give them the opportunity to exchange knowledge in a loose and friendly way.They are based on collegiality.
Moreover the three elements represent various aspects that determine the people to enter into a community.Most important is that they provide a practical prototype to guide the community development.A good model is important because it assures that the staff maintain an equilibrium between the elements.
To sum up,it is benefical for communities members to understand how the three key elements "work",because they help the community "function"at a high standard.