TAAENV501A Maintain and enhance professional practice
Communities may be formed for professional development or personal needs. In such a case the value of such relationships to the organisation may converge with or diverge from the organisation's strategic intent. However, either may generate benefit to the organisation. Individuals may pursue hobbies or professional interests that promote relationships that have no direct connection to the work of the individuals involved. Yet, value to an employer may be created through indirect or even direct knowledge flow. This topic will cover professional development networks, the value of both divergent and convergent communities, and the management of stakeholder relationships. What are communities?The term community is used to define not just individuals with a common geographic location or communities of practice, but also a group of individuals who share a purpose built on social norms, values and expectations. Such communities may exist within the organisation (teams) or across organisations. As the pace of change increases and certainty for individuals decreases, the corresponding commitment to actions by members of an organisation may decrease. Organisations that are undergoing a change process often reduce risk for individuals by building commitment and 'risk' support structures. Communities are one means of building internal networks between individuals that share meaning and shared visions (Janov, 1995). When discussing communities in this course we are specifically using the term in a management communication context. The term community specifically defines commonality amongst participants and in the past the definition of community was relatively simple. With increasing mobility the term becomes less easy to define and in the electronic age where information and knowledge sharing is almost instantaneous around the globe, communities become not the holistic, geographically cohesive units they once were (Falk, 1997:4). Sociology identifies that socially constructed realities are one way that individuals can find meaning within community structures. As we have established, individuals see the world through shared meanings-symbols and experiences-and use a common frame of reference to gain shared benefits and transfer knowledge. The values communities provide stimulates an interface between individual and collective interpretations of the world. Many types of communities exist in the management setting. The most common are:
Two styles of community structures are discussed. Divergent networks or communities are those constituted by members who have different reasons for being involved. While mutually supportive they are interpreting the contribution of the group from their own perspectives. In contrast to a divergent community the relationship between players in a convergent community is based on striving to remove structures imposed by each other that specifically hinder a sense of shared purpose. All partners can create and disseminate information, value-add to each other's processes and still achieve their own needs. It is the desire to interact within the network that forms the basis for the relationships
Group membership is not the only criteria for collective action or indeed a 'shared vision'. Willingness to participate and group cohesiveness in action may mask goals for participants. Divergent networked communities are those constituted by members who have different reasons for being involved. While mutually supportive they are interpreting the contribution of the group from their own perspectives (as depicted in Figure 11). There is a relationship between members of the networked community and the participants within an organisation. However, it is the organisation's purpose that determines the partners' involvement. This 'network' is shaped by relationships that predict communication and knowledge-sharing patterns. Without clear focus and an existing convergence of purpose towards a shared outcome a network such as this can be constantly subject to distortion and misinterpretation. Managers in such a situation spend more time trying to manage actions and participation for the agreed agenda than actually orienting all parties towards the opportunity. The chance of building a sustainable identity and sense of purpose that is shared is very difficult.
Figure 11 Divergent networked communities (© Bowles 1998, by permission) Harnessing convergent networked communities
Figure 12 Convergent networked communities (© Bowles 1998, by permission) The greater the ability of leaders in the organisation to build convergent relationships within the community, the better the ability to stimulate action and opportunities based on the desired strategic outcome. A group identity ensures that the perceived risk to the individual is low and strategy mirrors their individual needs. So long as purpose holds meaning, individuals and groups will continue to reinforce the original purpose of the community (as in Figure 12). The networked community depicted in Figure 12 stresses the organisation but focusses on the central, shared purpose for the relationships. It is the creation of shared meaning through these interactions that shape individual and group commitment. The community also promotes open communication and stimulates interaction between all parties in the network. The above community may be wholly internal to an organisation. In contrast to a divergent community the relationship between these parties is based on the removal of structures imposed by each other that specifically hinder a sense of shared purpose. All partners can create and disseminate information, value-add to each other's processes and still achieve their own needs. It is the desire to interact within the network that forms the basis for the relationships. Traditionally executive management perceives two main drawbacks to building wider relationships that are not necessarily driven by immediate performance needs. The first is that organisation's knowledge 'can walk out the door' with the employee. This is perceived not only as a waste, but also as a threat to competitive advantage. In a true knowledge community, however, those involved are widely dispersed through the organisation or across many organisations. The focus is also on building the network of relationships. As a result, knowledge resides in the relationships, not physical products. Individuals who leave will not have all the knowledge; they will take only the sense of a relationship that may have little real value outside its operating context. The second perceived downside relates to the fact that an 'empowered', 'enlightened' knowledge community frees employees to integrate their lives as community members with their work in much more direct ways. Their lives are not nearly so compartmentalised, because they are encouraged to think and act across previously walled-in sectors. These links and networks between the workplace and community are likely to create a new awareness of organisational responsibilities and ethics in relation to the physical site of their operation, the communities from which the organisations draw their labour and their wider client and stakeholder networks. The perceived downside in this scenario, then, is that there is pressure on an organisation to act more responsibly towards their geographic community. New ways of acting require a change in management's identity as well as in the organisation, and these changes often take a great deal of time to accept and implement. Hints The following strategies and techniques should be noted if you want to establish an effective environment for collaborative communication that is purpose driven (as distinct from an open community that is not purpose driven):
Internal convergent (purpose-driven) networksConvergence occurs when individuals approach an agreed purpose without sacrificing their sense of identity in other networks, groups or contexts. For instance, a worker may become attuned to an agreed workplace purpose, but may also have a distinct identity as coach of the local football team, as a member of a trade union or as a participant in a school's parents and friends association. In organisations with hierarchical structures, knowledge becomes compartmentalised and is hard to hold in a holistic way. Yet a holistic grasp of the organisation is needed to manage knowledge so that:
At the same time, organisations also need to manage the knowledge resident in groups to avoid the problems that arise when:
In this sense, the formation of internal communities, networks, groups or subcultures that hold knowledge but do not contribute to corporate outcomes may create barriers to information flow. For example, the formation of cliques and rhetorical communities may directly inhibit the transfer of knowledge and reduce the total organisation's access to information. Cliques are groups of people who tend to work in close proximity and communicate primarily with each other. Clique members reinforce their beliefs and their differences from the organisation through their communications and language. These groups are often called rhetorical communities. Such communities consist of people who participate in a rhetorical vision where their vision-for good or ill-typically reinforces behaviours inconsistent with the organisation. Knowledge and communitiesCommunities are often formed to accelerate knowledge transfer. For managers and leaders this can be a very useful way to avoid information overload and discover from their peers what is important and what is emerging in importance. Knowledge often surfaces when people with different perspectives work on the same project or collaborate to exchange information. Their very difference may be the catalyst for generating new knowledge or insights. In some cases the purpose is simply to place individuals who hold tacit knowledge or highly specialised knowledge together in an environment where they can exchange ideas. Conflicts are not uncommon in such situations. The most common sources of this kind of knowledge are interdisciplinary work teams or project management teams. Communities of practice are emerging as communities or informal networks that link individuals anywhere and at any level of an organisation or society based on shared professional interests. Communities of practice are, in effect, professional knowledge networks. These arise out of interactions and understandings created when people share information, formally or informally. It is one of the most important forms of knowledge within the business world, and one of the least understood. Networking, where professionals or communities of practice gather together or share a discipline, is most often viewed as the basis for networked knowledge. This is a limited view. The value of networked knowledge resides in its potential to utilise information from multiple sources to generate new and relevant perspectives. Networks are crucial in a world where it is impossible to allocate time and space to acquiring all the knowledge that may be important to an organisation. A strong set of networks should include interactions with formal and informal groups outside the workplace. Networked knowledge also resides in the social fabric of the location, including characteristics such as political and social stability and the workforce's sense of well-being. Knowledge arising from these settings is often referred to as 'social capital' (see the Knowledge Management topic area).
Public and external networksFrom a corporate perspective, the purpose of public communication is to promote the organisation's value, image or needs. For this reason, organisations normally commit a substantial amount of resources to the cause. Public communication is sometimes described as 'the process of one communicating with many'. External public communication can be categorised into three types. 1. Advertising and promoting products and services This field belongs to advertising and marketing specialists who promote the organisation's brand, services and products. It may be physical or virtual. 2. Creating a desirable public image for the organisation Theorists describe image-building as the process of 'creating the identity an organisation wants perceived by its relevant public groups'. Here, public communication is involved with creating a public image. In this public image, a set of positively valued features defines the essential character of a corporation so that groups (internal and external to the organisation) can identify a corporate image. 3. Shaping public opinion on issues that are important to the organisation In the past decade, large corporations have moved beyond traditional image-building to managing social and political issues relevant to various public groups. 'Issues management' is concerned with emerging issues whose definition and contending positions are evolving in the public arena and about which legislation or regulation is likely in a rolling timeframe of 18 to 36 months. Professional development bodies and networksThere are many professional bodies and sources of information on professional practice and development within the training and assessment field. The table below lists some of the main professional networks and where to source latest materials on management. Table
Keeping abreast of technological, compliance and policy changesIn the field of education professional practices, compliance and competencies will change. Keeping abreast of changes is an important aspect of an individual's professional development. Here are some links that isolate sources of relevant information on some key topics.
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Activity 12 
Reading 5 
Readings
Supporting
presentation
Knowledge
quiz
Additional resources
