Week 6 Task 1: Communities of Practice

My community of practice that I have chosen to examine is my job. I work at Walkabout in Lincoln, which is an Australian themed bar. Using Sue's example and Wenger's model I have created my own below:

Community of Practice

Bar Staff at Walkabout Lincoln

Context

Shared Member Goals - Profit Making, serving drinks, top sales person

Interest in Common Theme - Customer Service

Employment - Paid to be there, its for a reason

Social gathering (members likely to know each other)

¨ Membership of group - Any age/ethnicity/gender/nationality

¨ Presents united front to outsiders - all working towards the goal of keeping the pub running.

Power (as always in any communities some are more equal than others)

¨ Experts - Staff who have worked there longer

¨ High position in external society - Customers depend on us to get their drinks

¨ Hierarchy of Management

¨ Full Time/ Part Time Staff

Newcomers (difficult one this – they could be new because they are inexperienced or new because they have not been in the external society before)

¨ Beginners - New members of staff

¨ Returners - this seems to be very popular with Walkabout, staff return very frequently, myself included!

Experts

¨ Longtime members - more experienced staff who know the tills and bar etc

¨ Leadership figure - supervisor who allocates tasks

¨ Best salesperson - League table

Exclusions (until becoming expert)

¨ Full integration denied - no real authority in tasks

¨ Possible lack of hours compared to more experienced staff

¨ Not asked to “mentor” beginners

¨ Problems with customers - down to being "new"