Communities of consulting practice: a strategy for knowledge management

Abstract

The basic requirement for effective action in organizational consulting is knowledge management. As such, to acquire new knowledge and information consultants must constantly learn through discussion, interaction and reflection in groups and more recently in communities of practice. Although these communities provide many benefits for members, difficulties are faced that can affect sustainability. Therefore this work identified and analyzed the aims, difficulties and benefits that the "Comunidade de Formação de Consultores Organizacionais" in Recife, Brazil, had experienced since inception. A qualitative method was used in this case study to interview participating consultants. Among difficulties mentioned was insufficient time available for commitment and a lack of willingness to expose their experiences. However, benefits featured the change of attitude of those involved, in the sense of becoming more efficient in their practice.