On the other hand, I take an organisational unit to mean a company or a megacorporation. It appears faceless and less humane, yet still has a human work force. For example, brands such as Pepsi use celebrities to advertise their product to make it appear more human. The Pepsi-Cola company have a workforce that deals with the creation and advertising of the product as well as its public relations, and whilst several communities of practice probably do exist within the company, when they are united they create this organisational unit that is the faceless company. A drink cant sell itself after all!
Friday, 28 March 2008
Week 6, Task 3: Organisational Units
I think Wenger differentiates between a community of practice and an organisational unit by their practicality. I would take a community of practice to be formal in appearance but with many informal characteristics, particularly visible when we look at the members of a CofP. Members within a CofP are human individuals who exhibit their own personalities and deal with the situations they are placed in differently. They are united by one thing: which is the activity they are coming together to do. I think that a CofP is highly human in its nature, as it relies on groups of people working together.
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1 comment:
Nathan,
I think you give a reasonable definition here of the differences between CofP and and Organizational unit and look at it in interesting terms....a simple job can be seen as more of an organizational unit though....because you're there because you have to be to earn money....the aims are those of the company....whereas in Community's of Practice such as a dance class/riding club...people are there learning from each other because they want to be part of thar community to improve, to become better.
All the best
Emma
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