The Concept of Communities of Practice on the Example of IT Sector

Background: A growing interest in the concept of communities of practice (CoP) has been recently observed in several academic fields. They include organizational studies (the topics of knowledge management and organizational learning in particular) and education. However, the notion is used in various contexts. It is sometimes perceived as a social construct, but at some other times as a virtual community or informal group sponsored by an organization for the purpose of making it easier to share knowledge or learn.Objectives: The main aims of the paper are: 1) to identify the main characteristics of the CoP in IT sector, 2) to identify and describe the knowledge management tools used by CoP, 3) and to identify and analyse customer knowledge of CoP.Method: The research assumed an exploratory character. The case study and survey methods with application of structured questionnaire were used.Results: The CoP is little effective form of stimulating business processes and market, despite application of a broad range of activities undertaken for the purpose of creation of the so-called knowledge communities by the entities of IT sector and internet activity declared by respondents.Conclusion: Poor knowledge of CoP as well as the awareness of participation in its structures among the recipients, who are additionally active users of new technologies including mostly the Internet, may also be caused by the lack of experience in the sphere of studied knowledge-based relationships or priority character of ventures of directly measurable business results. Determinants of CoP creation and directions of its development may constitute an interesting area for further studies.