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In large companies, technological knowledge lies dispersed over individual specialists, business units and locations. Communities of practice (CoPs) are a structure for sharing this dispersed knowledge. However, CoPs are usually seen as being emergent, evolving and elusive. This study aims to investigate if and how it is possible to purposefully create CoPs.

This study describes and evaluates the launch of four CoPs within Rolls‐Royce. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods is used to determine and explain the activities and outcomes of the CoPs.

Each of the CoPs provided benefits to its members, but performance differences were found between the CoPs. Longer existing CoPs were more active as the structural elements and dimensions of CoPs take time to evolve and become balanced. But more active CoPs were not necessarily more beneficial to their members. This is partially explained by the degree to which a CoP focuses on local issues.

It is worthwhile to actively pursue the development of CoPs to manage technological knowledge. However, it takes time for CoPs to mature and become effective, and they are never fully under managerial control. Focusing on local issues increases the direct benefits for community members and therewith their commitment to the CoP.

This is one of the few evaluation studies of CoPs. While literature often assumes that CoPs have to emerge, this paper finds that it is also possible to purposefully create CoPs.

This paper seeks to analyse the different characteristics a bill of lading holds as a document of title, including the proprietary effects a transfer of goods in transit can have and the bill's use as a means of security as well as its limitations in mo6dern international commerce.

The paper examines the document's nature and the evolution of its traditional legal functions. The analysis includes, among other things, the implications different types of bills have as an instrument in commercial trade. Special attention is given to the attributes that are likely to limit the bill's application in modern international trade, concerning both its scope and value. Finally, the paper offers a set of conclusions and suggests reform measures.

The paper shows how technological innovations in recent years have resulted in the emergence of new forms of transport documentation that might challenge the bill's role in the future. The paper provides a clear understanding of the problems associated with the bill's current form and outlines the main approaches proposed to meet its need for reform.

The paper offers a conceptual analysis of the bill's weak points and discusses how simplification and standardisation, a central registry system and electronic transmission of information may be able to increase efficiency.

Critical assessment undertaken may pave the way for an open discussion on the subject. Legal culture and mercantile customs should be taken into consideration if a successful and sustainable reform is to be achieved.

The key trends in emerging ICT integration choices for cost‐effective, flexible knowledge integration, work‐flow‐embedded evaluation and eCRM‐driven value innovation are examined. Enterprise knowledge integration initiatives can create socio‐technical and cultural tensions as well as possible straitjacketing of business process architectures thus suppressing responsive business re‐engineering and causing loss of competitive advantage for some companies. A framework, C‐assure, is presented for optimising knowledge integration, impact analysis and evaluation to support innovation throughout the various interacting enterprise lifecycles.

The purpose of the article is to look closely at the phenomenon of the cryptocurrencies such as and bitcoin to identify their potential vulnerabilities to money laundering and financing of terrorism. It also explores their specific characteristics relevant to ML/FT risks.

Using digicash and bitcoin protocols as primary cases for centralized and decentralized cryptocurrencies we analyse their characteristics against cash and cashless payments. We also draw on “bundle of attributes” that may define their attractiveness for common public or criminals.

Our research shows that characteristics of the cryptocurrencies are unlikely to make them popular among the consumers, as demand for anonymity seems to be overrated. Cryptocurrencies can also be classified as payment instrument rather than private currencies; therefore their embededdness in the financial system minimizes the ML/FT risks.

Some decentralized cryptocurrencies operate within informal communities. Therefore, relations within these communities are constantly evolving and need to be monitored further.

The paper provides an insight into the mechanics and classification of cryptocurrencies as payment instruments. Place of cryptocurrencies within the broader payment ecosystem defines their potential vulnerabilities to being abused by the criminals.

The paper fills the gap in research on cryptocurrencies as payment instruments rather than private currencies and also provides an overview of their relevance for the Anti-money laundering and combating financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) regime.

Presents the case for the use of computerised Bills of Lading. Outlines the issues of concern with electronic documents, showing that these documents have various roles to play, each of which must be considered when looking at the safeguards built into electronic systems. Considers Digital signatories, legal contractual agreements and various legislative approaches. Covers cross border jurisdiction and digital negotiability before looking at the European Model EDI Agreement. Comments on the Uncitral Model Law on Electronic Commerce and then presents the position held by the banking community. States the arguments for the paper form compared to the electronic form and concludes that there is a need for more understanding and legal clarification within the subject.

The purpose of this paper is to provide generalised views on ways in which field practice in Tanzania deviates from the village savings and lending associations (VSLA) methodology.

The research applied “participant observation method” involving actual participation in the weekly meetings of the surveyed savings groups.

Field practices deviate from the VSLA methodology. Deviations include the tendency for the savings groups to simplify financial intermediation by regressing from using loan guarantors, relying on external enforcement to recover debts from group members (rather than depending on within group enforcement mechanisms), use of social funds to recover loans, limited attendance in weekly group meetings and accumulation of debts towards share-out dates.

Results from this study are relevant to Ilala district where VSLA groups were sampled from. Cautious reading is therefore necessary when attempting to generalise findings to other areas with different social, economic and institution settings.

VSLA model needs to consider a number of issues. They include devising means to accommodate field realities; from simplification of financial intermediation activities to the dependence of the savings groups on external enforcement.

Social implications include a possible improved VSLA model based on the findings from this study, to further advance the performance of community-based savings groups.

By revealing the deviation of the VSLA methodology from the practice, the study adds value to the literature which is largely dominated by economic and poverty impact of savings groups.

The meaning of management is partly the management of meaning. Management is an activity in which people collaborate not just over what they do but also how they mean: how concepts like “effective” are defined and made actual through work, and how knowledge can properly be applied to management situations. Such knowledge is not merely intellectual; it takes in values and belief systems and the intentionalities of discourse. Management is also an area in which over‐arching paradigms of what is best to know and do demonstrate pluralistic and collaborative features. What is known, and what is best to know, therefore, are built up through negotiation and reformulation. This occurs in settings characterised by organisational cultures and authority structures like line management, and in these we find meanings being negotiated for many complex cognitive, ideological and interpersonal reasons (such as to avoid “loss of face”). In professional information training, it is important to develop knowledge of, and skills in, the management of meaning, using negotiative strategies and tactics.