# Communities of Practice in Transition Economies: Innovation in Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises

**Authors:** Narasimha Rao Vajjhala (University of New York Tirana, Albania) — ORCID 0000-0002-8260-2392
**Type:** Book chapter
**Source:** In Organizational Knowledge Facilitation through Communities of Practice in Emerging Markets, Advances in Knowledge Acquisition, Transfer, and Management, pp. 31–44, IGI Global
**Published:** 2016
**DOI:** https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-0013-1.ch002
**Canonical page:** https://www.narasimharao.net/research/communities-of-practice-transition-economies-sme-innovation/
**Indexing:** Scopus

## Summary

**Question.** What factors contribute to the success of communities of practice (CoPs) in SMEs in transition economies, what challenges do they face, and how do national and organizational culture shape their functioning?

**Finding.** The chapter argues that the success of CoPs in transition-economy SMEs depends to a certain extent on the social and cultural factors of transition economies, which differ from those of developing and developed countries. It explores success factors, challenges, and the role of national and organizational culture, and develops a framework that could be applied to CoPs in transition economies.

**Why it matters.** According to the chapter, CoPs can help SMEs with limited financial and human resources improve efficiency and productivity by leveraging the organization's knowledge resources. The proposed framework and the factors identified as limiting CoPs are aimed at supporting innovation in SMEs in transition economies.

## Key findings

1. The chapter describes communities of practice (CoPs) as informal groups of individuals sharing knowledge and experience within or outside an organization.
2. The chapter argues that CoPs can help SMEs with limited financial and human resources improve efficiency and productivity by leveraging knowledge resources in the organization.
3. The chapter notes that transition economies have different social and economic conditions compared with developing and developed countries, so the success of CoPs in transition-economy SMEs depends to a certain extent on social and cultural factors.
4. The chapter explores the role of national and organizational culture in the functioning of CoPs in SMEs in transition economies.
5. The chapter develops a framework that could be applied to CoPs in transition economies and identifies factors that might limit the work of CoPs in the context of SME innovation.

## Study at a glance

| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Research question | What drives and limits the success of communities of practice in SMEs in transition economies? |
| Design | Conceptual book chapter |
| Context | Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in transition economies |
| Focus | Success factors, challenges, and the role of national and organizational culture in CoPs |
| Main result | A framework that could be applied to CoPs in transition economies |
| Implication | CoPs can help resource-constrained SMEs improve efficiency and productivity by leveraging knowledge resources |

## Abstract

Communities of Practice (CoPs) are informal groups of individuals sharing knowledge and experience within or outside an organization. CoPs can help organizations, especially Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) with limited financial and human resources improve efficiency and productivity by leveraging knowledge resources in the organization. Transition economies have different social and economic conditions as compared to developing and developed countries. The success of CoPs in SMEs located in transition economies depends to a certain extent on the social and cultural factors in transition economies. This chapter explores the factors contributing to the success of CoPs as well as challenges that CoPs face in transition economies. This chapter explores the role of national and organizational culture on the functioning of CoPs in SMEs in transition economies. The objective of this chapter is to develop a framework that could be applied to CoPs in transition economies. This chapter also identifies the factors that might limit the work of CoPs in the context of innovation in SMEs in transition economies.

## Key terms

- **Communities of practice (CoPs):** Informal groups of individuals sharing knowledge and experience within or outside an organization (the chapter's own definition).
- **Transition economy:** An economy moving from central planning toward a market-based system, which the chapter notes has social and economic conditions different from those of developing and developed countries.

## How to cite

Vajjhala, N. R. (2016). Communities of Practice in Transition Economies: Innovation in Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises. In Organizational Knowledge Facilitation through Communities of Practice in Emerging Markets (pp. 31–44). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-0013-1.ch002

```bibtex
@incollection{vajjhala2016communities,
  title = {Communities of Practice in Transition Economies: Innovation in Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises},
  author = {Vajjhala, Narasimha Rao},
  booktitle = {Organizational Knowledge Facilitation through Communities of Practice in Emerging Markets},
  series = {Advances in Knowledge Acquisition, Transfer, and Management},
  pages = {31--44},
  year = {2016},
  publisher = {IGI Global},
  doi = {10.4018/978-1-5225-0013-1.ch002},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-0013-1.ch002}
}
```