The role of human resource development in transitioning from technology-focused to people-centered knowledge management

Communities of practice supported by on-line interactive technologies rapidly become one of the most efficient knowledge management tools in organizations. This chapter demonstrates that the Human Resource Development (HRD) function is uniquely positioned to implement the enabling systems for realizing the community-of-practice metaphor, which is grounded in the human capital theory and the resource-based theory of the firm. Examples of knowledge-sharing communities of practice demonstrate their central role in mobilizing the potential of the intellectual resources of the organization. The chapter includes a discussion of seven areas where HRD can play a central role in creating knowledge-sharing communities of practice. The chapter ends with a discussion of the HRD competencies and skills needed to fulfill this role.