Communities of practice and value creation in networks

In this chapter we will focus on communities of practice (CoPs) and their impact on the appreciation of informal professional development in organizations. Our perspective on informal professional development is participation-based, situated in shared work practices. We will first explain how this perspective is rooted in the idea of CoPs. We will then discuss how recent organizational developments such as ‘new ways of working’ (NWOW – see Chapter 47 in this volume) and the use of social media change the organizational landscape into open practices where professionals work, learn and innovate. These emerging open practices stimulate critical reflections about the meaning of CoPs, shifting our ideas to a more dynamic perspective coined as networks of practice (NoPs). In light of these developments we will reflect on the challenges that communities face and how they balance dealing with increased openness, networking and demonstrating the value they create.