Éclairage par le commun des conditions organisationnelles pour la pérennité des communautés de pratique

Abstract

Research objective: This article examines the sustainability of communities of practice (CoP), which are typically considered through deterministic approaches, using the theoretical framework of the commons. By analogy, this article proposes to analyze CoPs as organizations and organizing. This approach should identify the internal conditions for the reproduction of a CoP. The objective of this research is thus to understand the conditions of self-organization and sustainability of a CoP. Methodology: To do so, we use a mixed methodology. After a qualitative study of several months observing and analyzing two CoPs, we rely on a quantitative study of seven CoPs within a company, MUTUALIS. A questionnaire analyzing the organization and organizing of CoPs was sent to members. 76 responses were retained and analyzed with SMART PLS. Contribution: While this article identifies the potential for internal reproduction of CoPs and therefore sustainability, it also emphasizes that this remains partial through instrumental use. The more instrumental it is, the more CoPs minimize their organizational reproduction and self-organization. To overcome this limit, the framework of the commons ultimately proposes an integrative approach to the organization of a self-organized collective action that leads us to think about democratization at a multi-level scale. Finally, this study demonstrates the imperative of a more general organizational transformation of the company that cannot be reduced to sporadic devices or communities.