ERIC Number: EJ1042464
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010-Jul
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1302-6488
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Available Date: N/A
Demystifying Virtual Communities of Practice: A Case Study of IBM
Kok, Ayse
Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, v11 n3 p119-128 Jul 2010
The purpose of this proposed research study is to empirically explore the nature of virtual communities of practice (CoP) in a global organisation within the context of its International Corporate Volunteer (ICV) Program. This study investigates whether and how the use of virtual CoP evolves and becomes embedded within this organization. Following the logic of inductive research, a qualitative case study will be proposed here, to gain insight on the extent to which virtual CoPs can be utilized. For this purpose, a global business organisation that established a partnership with a Canadian non-profit organisation and implements a corporate volunteer program is proposed. Although previous studies confirmed the important role that the quality of dialogue plays in the cultivation of effective communities of practice this study shows that despite the quality of exchanges, virtual CoP are not necessarily utilized due to some alternative channels of communication.
Descriptors: Computer Simulation, Communities of Practice, Case Studies, Volunteers, International Trade, Logical Thinking, Qualitative Research, Nonprofit Organizations, Corporations, Role, Cooperation, Dialogs (Language), Social Theories, Learning Theories, Computer Mediated Communication, Interviews
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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