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| | “ ”What’s the purpose? | Who belongs? | How clear are the boundaries? | What holds them together? | How long do they last? |
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| Communities of practice | To create, expand, and exchange knowledge, and to develop individual capabilities | Self-selection based on expertise or passion for a topic | Fuzzy | Passion, commitment, and identification with the group and its expertise | Evolve and end organically (last as long as there is relevance to the topic and value and interest in learning together) |
| Formal departments | To deliver a product or service | Everyone who reports to the “ ”group’s manager | Clear | Job requirements and common goals | Intended to be permanent (but last until the next reorganisation) |
| Operational teams | To take care of an ongoing operation or process | Membership assigned by management | Clear | Shared responsibility for the operation | Intended to be ongoing (but last as long as the operation is needed) |
| Project teams | To accomplish a specified task | People who have a direct role in accomplishing the task | Clear | The “ ”project’s goals and milestones | Predetermined ending (when the project has been completed) |
| Communities of interest | To be informed | Whoever is interested | Fuzzy | Access to information and sense of like-mindedness | Evolve and end organically |
| Informal networks communities | To receive and pass on information, to know who is who | Friends and business acquaintances, friends of friends | Undefined | Mutual need and relationships | Never really start or end (exist as long as people keep in touch or remember each other) |
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