Abstract:
The study is aimed to investigate the goals and forms of the Communities of Practice (CoP) in organizations, roles and types of their communication methods for Knowledge Management (KM) within their communities, as well as problems and obstacles, including factors affecting the communication for Knowledge Management The data were collected by questionnaires from 105 CoP members, and by in-depth interview with 10 KM-related personnel, together with documentary research. The results are as follow. 1. Most CoPs in organizations in Thailand tend to be small groups consisting of personnel, regularly working together in the same organizations. Their main objectives of founding CoPs are to develop a learning organization and to improve their work efficiency to comply with organizational policies based on good governance principles, more than to establish a group voluntarily or by their own will. 2. Types of communication methods mostly used are Action Learning, Lesson Learned, and Coaching, related to their regular jobs. The most common channel of communication is through Email, because of its rapidity and workers familiarity with this channel, and through face-to-face group meeting, which is easy to go along with their regular meetings. Communication plays great roles in knowledge distribution and in motivating members for KM participation. 3. Prior approval from superiors, no permission to do KM activities during their regular work, and a lack of CoP members communication skills, especially in effective message design and knowledge-sharing techniques, are identified as main problems and obstacles of KM in the organizations.. 4. Factors fostering communication for KM are CoP members good attitude towards their group participation, facilitating working conditions, and top management s support and being role models.