COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE AND SYSTEMS THEORY: A CASE STUDY

Authors

  • Robert Anthony Jordan U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics

Keywords:

systems theory, communities of practice, open Systems, autopoiesis

Abstract

This case study examines the development of a self-organized Community of Practice (CoP) through the lens of systems theory. The CoP is devoted to the practice of Action Learning within the United States public sector. The CoP’s membership comprises public sector employees who are Action Learning coaching practitioners and other public sector employees who are interested in Action Learning as a problem-solving and leadership development tool. CoPs embody systems theory in that they may be characterized as open systems with core members and peripheral members. Disruptions to the system challenge and strengthen the CoP through boundary crossings between the CoP and other communities. System disruptions and the communications that have occurred as a result have created challenges to identity.

Author Biography

Robert Anthony Jordan, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics

Robert Jordan is an instructional designer working in the federal government. He holds a M.A. degree in Instructional Systems Development from UMBC and a Ph.D. in Learning, Design and Technology from Penn State. He has authored and co-authored several articles and book chapters on learning-related topics. His professional interests include instructional design, learning environments and spaces, social learning, communities-of-practice, performance support, learning curricula and training evaluation, among other topics.

Published

2019-09-15

How to Cite

Jordan, R. A. (2019). COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE AND SYSTEMS THEORY: A CASE STUDY. Proceedings of the 62nd Annual Meeting of the ISSS - 2018 Corvallis, OR, USA, 1(1). Retrieved from https://journals.isss.org/index.php/proceedings62nd/article/view/3422

Issue

Section

Organisational Transformation and Social Change