Managing Social and Human Capital in Organizations: Communities of Practices as Strategic Tools for Individual and Organizational Development

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the role of communities of practice in organizations and theirmostbeneficialeffectsforbothindividualandcollectivedevelopment. Design/methodology/approach – Based on a literature review, from the first authoritative texts by LaveandWengeruntilthemostrecentcritiques,thepaperhasattemptedtoconciliatetheindividualandthe organizationalperspectivesaboutthisprecioustoolforknowledgemanagementandcreation. Findings – Because of their distinctive features, a joint enterprise, a mutual engagement and a shared repertoire,ifstrategicallymanaged,mightresorttoindividualandorganizationalpositiveoutcomes.Froman individualperspective,communitiescouldbebeneficialindevelopingprofessionalskills,astrongersenseof identity and finding continuity even during discontinuity and change. From an organizational perspective, communitiesofpracticecouldhelpdrivethestrategy,startnewlinesofbusiness,solveproblemsquicklyand transferbestpractices. Research limitations/implications – Many limitations about this conceptualization have been presented. Therefore, future research should try to focus on communities within different socio-cultural contextsandwithindifferentkindsoforganizations. Practical implications – Practical implications about the use of communities of practice within organizationalcontextsaremainlylinkedtotheenhancementofhumanandsocialcapitalseenasastrategic, althoughintangible,asset. Social implications – The social implications of this paper are connected to the contribution to the discussiononthethemewhichisquiteuncommoninhumanresourcemanagementresearch. Originality/value – Thevalueofthispaperistheattempttoconnectthecommunitiesofpracticetohuman andsocialcapital.