Resumen
The article focuses on the benefit and costs of communities of practice. There has been increasing interest within large organisations in the development and support of communities to promote collaborations, improve social interaction, increase productivity and to improve organisational performance. These worker groups often called communities of practice are defined by a common disciplinary background, similar work activities and tools and shared stories, contexts and values. Dating back to the trade guilds of the middle ages these long standing voluntary worker associations have developed rich. Increasingly, however, these communities are moving beyond face-to-face exchanges, to interact in online environments, shared Web spaces, email lists, discussion forums and synchronous chats. The support of these environments demands both financial and technological resources. These demands force organizations to invest with caution while trying to capture the value that communities ultimately deliver to their financial balance sheets. As with any other significant investment in information technology and human capital, managers are naturally interested in understanding the impact these communities have on individual performance, team effectiveness and overall productivity.