Developing strategic systems supporting communities of practice in the Georgia Department of Transportation.
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2011-12-01
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Edition:Final report.
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Abstract: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.
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