Developing Strategic Systems Supporting Communities of Practice in the Georgia Department of Transportation.

摘要

This study is designed to explore strategies through which the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) can develop communities of practice to help employees facilitate critical exchanges of knowledge, support organizational learning, and ultimately achieve improvements in performance outcomes. Communities of practice (CoP) are groups of professionals working on behalf of an organization who develop on-going informal knowledge exchanges as a means of learning about and performing key job-related processes and skills. The study consisted of four main objectives: 1) to map the incidence of CoP in GDOT, 2) to monitor patterns of knowledge flows through CoP, 3) to assess the costs and benefits of CoP, and 4) to develop a strategy for application of SharePoint to the development of CoP. The study was conducted using multi-method research including interviews across key agencies, a communications log and workshops with GDOT professionals. A number of existing types of CoP were identified. Through a communications log, knowledge exchanges were mapped and communication patterns were established according to a typology of five CoP characteristics. Six groups of communication patterns were identified with varying degrees of CoP intensity (weak or strong CoP communications). Weak CoP communications are associated with knowledge search costs, while strong CoP communications are associated with knowledge validation and application costs. It is recommended that GDOT tailor its strategy of enhancing communication within the organization by addressing the different needs of weak and strong CoP communications. To reduce knowledge search costs, it is recommended that GDOT conduct a knowledge needs assessment and centralize and enhance expertise information into a common directory. SharePoint utilities may assist with various aspects of this functionality. To reduce the costs associated with validating and applying knowledge, it is recommended that GDOT pursue a strategy of systemically building CoP through a combination of social networking, face-to-face training, on-line documentation of official policy statements and standards, and the dissemination of information and training sessions as changes occur in standards.