Title:	TWELVE LESSONS TO DEVELOP AND SUSTAIN ONLINE KNOWLEDGE COMMUNITIES
Author(s):	José Cláudio Cyrineu Terra, Ph.d.
ISBN:	972-98947-0-1
Editors:	António Palma dos Reis and Pedro Isaías
Year:	2003
Edition:	1
Keywords:	Knowledge Management, Online Communities, Global Companies, E-learning, Case Studies, Reputation .
Type:	Full Paper
First Page:	211
Last Page:	218
Language:	English
Cover:
Full Contents:	click to dowload
Paper Abstract:	The development of online communities is rapidly becoming one of the important tools in Knowledge Management. Online communities have been emerging steadily and rapidly since the early nineties. Initially these online communities were being developed outside the corporate world. More recently, however, they have also become an organization reality. The concept of Communities of Practice has fuelled its growth and made it a strategic concern in a growing number of forward-looking firms. This paper presents practical lessons for organizations that aim to develop and sustain online communities in the context of knowledge program initiatives of a few leading organizations. These lessons (and the specific examples) are based on the actual experiences of eleven large organizations that were part of a large research that included interviews in Canada, U.S.A., Brasil, United Kingdom and Germany. The following organizations were part of the study: ADC Telecommunications, Bain & Company; Bank of Montreal; Brazil’s Finance Ministry IT Agency (SERPRO); Context Integration; Eli Lilly; Hill & Knowlton; Nortel, Siemens, Texaco; and Xerox. Each company provided an opportunity to develop in-depth case studies using a structured qualitative and quantitative inquiry guide. The research was gathered through a combination of face-to-face meetings and telephone interviews. The paper also presents a brief literature review. The key conclusion is that technology only plays a secondary role in developing and sustaining online communities. Much more important are human-centric issues related to leadership, focus, motivation, identity and rewards.
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