Organisation Theory: Multiple Perspectives

Concepts you should know:

a. Communities of Practice
b. Social Learning
c. Institutionalisation

Discussion questions:

a. Are the concepts of communities of practice and social learning in organisations similar? Discuss.

b. Are communities of practice formed to achieve social learning? Give some examples in organisations where this occurs. Which perspective could be used to describe our understanding of how communities of practice are formed in organisations?

c. The apprentice relationship is an example of a community of practice. Discuss with respect to modernist perspectives, what organisational advantages this may bring.

d. Why would an organisation encourage a community of practice? Which perspective would this be? Would there be circumstances where communities of practice become counter-productive in organisations?

e. Positions of subordinate and superordinate authority are coded and legitimated through implicit and explicit use of language, e.g. "old-timers". What is implied through this statement?

f. Participants in communities of practice become "prisoners" of prevalent discourse. Which analytical perspective would describe communities of practice in this manner? Is this type of discourse useful?