Identity reconciliation and knowledge mobilization in a mandated community of practice
Journal of Knowledge Management
ISSN: 1367-3270
Article publication date: 8 July 2021
Issue publication date: 11 March 2022
Abstract
Purpose
Communities of Practice (CoPs) are increasingly being created to facilitate knowledge mobilization in organizations. This paper aims to elucidate an underexplored aspect of participation in mandated CoPs – identity reconciliation. Specifically, the authors explore how actors reconcile their existing identities with becoming members of new knowledge mobilization CoPs.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted a longitudinal qualitative case study over a 12-month period to explore identity reconciliation practices during the formation of the “ED CoP” – mandated by policymakers to mobilize knowledge between process improvement advisors and clinicians from various hospitals. Observation and interviews allowed us to uncover “front stage” and “backstage” practices of identity reconciliation.
Findings
The findings reveal two key unexpected modes of identity reconciliation – “distancing” and “peripheral lurking”. These modes resulted in different trajectories of participation of two of the key participant groups – “veteran” improvement advisors and “veteran” clinicians.
Practical implications
Different modes of identity reconciliation of different participants impact the formation of CoPs and how knowledge mobilization occurs within them. This paper offers a sensitizing lens for practitioners creating CoPs which enhances awareness of hidden identity practices, and recommendations to enable practitioners to effectively facilitate CoP formation.
Originality/value
This study suggests that identity reconciliation is an integral aspect of CoP formation, and essential for knowledge mobilization within CoPs. Whereas studies on CoPs in the knowledge management literature have mostly assumed that collaboration produces beneficial knowledge mobilization outcomes, the findings build a more nuanced picture of the processes involved in producing these outcomes.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This research forms part of a study of service redesign and improvement funded by the Australian Research Council (LP140100243). The findings reported here arise from doctoral research conducted as part of this study funded by a Monash University Graduate Research Scholarship. The authors thank our founders and research partners and the participants in the health and humanitarian track at the 26th EurOMA Conference (Helsinki, June 2019) and the 17th ANZAM Operations, Supply Chain and Services Management Symposium (Melbourne, July 2019) who provided valuable comments on the data presented in this article. They also thank Associate Professor Dayna Simpson for reviewing our draft and providing insights that were immensely helpful in shaping and sharpening the direction of our paper. Finally, the authors are very grateful for the contributions and years of support from Professor Ian McLoughlin who retired during the development of this paper.
Citation
Ivcovici, A., McLoughlin, I., Nand, A. and Bhattacharya, A. (2021), "Identity reconciliation and knowledge mobilization in a mandated community of practice", Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 26 No. 3, pp. 763-780. https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-02-2021-0130
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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