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transition management concept needs more
elaboration on how to flow through the stages. In
other words, how to select the most appropriate
practices in which stage and context to catalyse the
emergence of a CoP.
Another important area for further research is the
measurement of the effectiveness of different
management styles on CoPs, and the measurement
of CoP’s successfulness in general. Such metrics can
be based on research on knowledge management
effectiveness related to management styles. The
Knowledge Governance Framework might be a
good starting point in this respect (Smits and Moor,
2005). However, the success and impact of CoPs
will remain difficult to measure and assess,
consequently making them vulnerable for the
management paradox. Solving this issue will
therefore require a way to better assess the impact of
CoPs on knowledge activation and use in the
organisation. The more explicit the value of CoPs
the easier it will be to avoid the management
paradox and facilitate the cultivation of CoPs.
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