The Organizational Embeddedness of Communities of Practice : Exploring the Cultural and Leadership Dynamics of Self-organized Practice

This dissertation uncovers how informal and self-organized communities of practice as a source of learning and adaptability are embedded in their formal organizational surroundings. Based on an interpretative case study of three communities of practice within the German Federal Armed Forces, the author theorizes this embeddedness as shaped through cultural dynamics and leadership processes. In particular, the author draws on a practice lens and complexity leadership theory in explaining how communities of practice generate new resources (i.e., adaptability), produce and reproduce broader socio-cultural structures, and are enabled as well as influenced by formal leadership. The Author Benjamin Schulte is a post-doctoral researcher at the Institute of Technology and Innovation Management at the Helmut Schmidt University - University of the German Federal Armed Forces. He examines the micro-processes and dynamics of organizational adaptability and innovativeness, mostly utilizing qualitative research methods and a practice lens viewpoint. In particular, he currently studies how adaptive and innovative practices such as the lean startup method are introduced, translated, and embedded in the broader socio-cultural and institutional context of established bureaucratic organizations. His research has been published in the Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies and the IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management Foreword 7 Acknowledgements 10 Contents 12 Abbreviations 15 Illustration Directory 16 Table Directory 17 Information Box Directory 18 1 Introduction 19 1.1 Research Gap 21 1.1.1 Approach and Contributions 23 1.1.2 Structure of Analysis 26 2 Literature Review 28 2.1 Identifying the Core Literature on Communities of Practice 29 2.2 Reviewing the CoP Construct and Its Dimensions 33 2.2.1 The Nature of Communities of Practice 34 2.2.2 The Praxis in Communities of Practice 48 2.2.3 The Local Context of Communities of Practice 52 2.2.4 The Outcome of Communities of Practice 54 2.2.5 The Trans-local Context Around Communities of Practice 57 2.3 Summary of Section and Research Questions 65 3 Theoretical Background 70 3.1 Theoretical and Ontological Underpinnings of CoP Research 71 3.1.1 Practice-Oriented Theory and a Processual Understanding of Learning in CoPs 72 3.1.2 CoPs as Social Entities and the Knowledge-Based-View 80 3.1.3 Interim Conclusion 82 3.2 Complexity Theory: A Complementary Perspective on CoPs 85 3.2.1 The Intellectual Origins of Complexity Theory 85 3.2.2 Complex Adaptive Systems Dynamics and Complexity Leadership 89 3.2.3 Extending Practice-Oriented Approaches with Complexity Theory 95 3.3 Summary of Section 98 4 Research Setting and Methods 100 4.1 Research Setting 101 4.2 Research Approach and Procedures 104 4.2.1 Utilizing an Inductive, Interpretative Research Approach to Build Process Theory 105 4.2.2 Data Collection 112 4.2.3 Data Analysis 123 5 Findings 128 5.1 Findings Part 1: Changes, Needs, and Community Emergence 129 5.1.1 Increased Environmental Dynamics in Several Practice Areas 131 5.1.2 Identifying the Need for Specialized Resources 143 5.1.3 Self-organized Resourcing within Evolving Communities of Practice 149 5.1.4 Summary of Section 159 5.2 Findings Part 2: The Cultural Embeddedness of Communities 163 5.2.1 Learned Cultural Repertoire 164 5.2.2 Experiencing Cultural Dissonance 174 5.2.3 Resourcing Cultural Practices in CoPs 177 5.2.4 Constructing a New Community Schema 186 5.2.5 Summary of Section 189 5.3 Findings Part 3: Formal Leaders Interactions with Emergent CoPs 193 5.3.1 Enabling CoP Emergence 195 5.3.2 Resourcing Additional Assets to CoPs 201 5.3.3 Mutual Adjustment of Schemas 205 5.3.4 Transforming Emergent Resources 209 5.3.5 Summary of Section 212 6 Grounded Model of CoPs’ Embeddedness 217 6.1 Self-organized Resourcing in Communities of Practice 218 6.2 Sustaining the Tension: Leadership and CoPs 223 7 Discussion 232 7.1 Implications for Research on Communities of Practice 233 7.2 Implications for Research on Complexity Leadership Theory 243 7.3 Implications for Research on Organizational Culture 247 7.4 Implications for Managerial Practice 251 7.5 Beyond the Military Organization and Further Research 254 8 Concluding Remarks 259 References 261 to Archival Data Inventory 261 Front Matter ....Pages i-xxiii Introduction (Benjamin Schulte)....Pages 1-9 Literature Review (Benjamin Schulte)....Pages 11-52 Theoretical Background (Benjamin Schulte)....Pages 53-82 Research Setting and Methods (Benjamin Schulte)....Pages 83-110 Findings (Benjamin Schulte)....Pages 111-199 Grounded Model of CoPs’ Embeddedness (Benjamin Schulte)....Pages 201-215 Discussion (Benjamin Schulte)....Pages 217-243 Concluding Remarks (Benjamin Schulte)....Pages 245-246 Back Matter ....Pages 247-278