Search Results | VOCEDplus, the international tertiary education and research database

Add to My selection

Challenging expertise: on power relations within and across communities of practice in medical innovation

This article addresses the question of how practices perform power effects within and across communities of practic ... Show more
This article addresses the question of how practices perform power effects within and across communities of practice. It does so by drawing on a study of two medical innovation projects leading to radical changes of practice. Situated learning theory has to some degree acknowledged the asymmetry in power between masters and apprentices. Meanwhile, this study suggests that the novelty of new practices may lead to a contestation of the established master-apprentice relationship and even challenge the basis of the community of practice itself. We therefore argue that innovation processes may highlight the political processes and negotiations already at play in communities of practice. Hence, we investigate how communities of practice tried to control the new practices through mobilizing arguments, marginalizing opponents and building alliances. Consequently, the article argues that changing practices may be highly political.
Published abstract reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less

Authors: Mork, Bjorn Erik; Hoholm, Thomas; Ellingsen, Gunnar; Edwin, Bjorn ... [+] Show more

Date: 2010

Geographic subjects: Norway; Europe

Resource type: Article

Journal title: Management learning

Subjects: Communities of practice; Innovation; Skills and knowledge ... [+] Show more

Sort by

Filter by authors

Filter by subjects

Filter by keywords

Filter by geographic subjects

Filter by resource type

Filter by peer reviewed

Filter by date

Challenging expertise: on power relations within and across communities of practice in medical innovation