The Electronic Journal of Knowledge Management (EJKM) is an online journal that aims to publish articles and papers that contribute to the development of both the theory and practice in the field of Knowledge Management. The Electronic Journal of Knowledge Management provides perspectives on topics relevant to the study, implementation, and management of knowledge management. The journal contributes to the development of both theory and practice in the field of knowledge management. The journal accepts academically robust papers, topical articles, and case studies that contribute to the area of research in, and practice of, knowledge management. This has been added to Knowledge Discovery Subject Tracer Information Blog.

To shape practice act on theories (pp11-22)>
Matteo Bonifacio and Chiara Zini
Informatics and Business Studies (DISA), University of Trento, Italy
Abstract: Practice based studies have provided rich descriptions of knowledge dynamics. On the other hand, they led to conceptualizations that question the possibility to view knowledge as a resource that can be oriented and shaped by managers. From this perspective, questions such as why an existing community has developed, or how to enable the emergence of a new community, are still unanswered. Such weaknesses are rooted in a tendency to ignore the cognitive motivations (theories) that lead actors to behave in a particular way. As a consequence, we propose that social practice can be explained as the outcome of interlocking cognitive theories and, moreover, that to shape practice, we need to act on theories.
Keywords: communities of practice, situated learning, cognition, knowledge management, organizational learning, theory of action.