An Investigation of Air Force Communities of Practice: A Descriptive Study of Evolution Through Assessment of People, Process, and Technology Capabili (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781249838395)

A variety of theories state that communities of practice (CoPs) "evolve" or "mature" through various stages over time. Such theories posit that each stage is characterized by different people, process, and technology attributes/capabilities that ultimately necessitate differing strategies for achieving effectiveness (Gongla and Rizzuto, 2001). A primary goal of AFMC/DRW, AFMC Electronic Learning (eLearning) Knowledge Management Integrated Project Team, and the office of the Air Force Chief Information Off cer is to increi ase CoP participation and effectiveness. This descriptive, cross-sectional research, surveyed all CoP managers of all CoPs "hosted" by AFMC/DRW with a quantitative/qualitative, 86 question, 5-point Likert, survey. This research suggested that, on average, AF/AFMC CoPs are in the very early stages of evolution, and the extent of implementation for stage-specific attributes/capabilities was found to be minimal. The implications of this finding show, given the relatively "undeveloped nature" of many of the CoPs, there are a wide range of actions that can be taken to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of existing CoPs. These actions include increasing leadership involvement and support, increasing membership education and training, defining more clearly the purpose/objectives of each CoP, and implementing easier technology tools for navigating the COP collaborative electronic workspace.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.

This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.

As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.