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Case Studies of Parallel Learning Structures

Xerox found that their technical representatives informally shared knowledge at places like the coffee pot. Rather than stopping this, Xerox formalized it by creating an electronic knowledge database called Eureka for tips. National Semiconductor encouraged informal groups of engineers reviewing chip designs to form Communities of Practice to share their expertise. Anderson Consulting supported voluntary Communities of Practice where employees spent 2 hours per week to collectively address issues and contribute to professional development.

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Aman Prajapati
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146 views2 pages

Case Studies of Parallel Learning Structures

Xerox found that their technical representatives informally shared knowledge at places like the coffee pot. Rather than stopping this, Xerox formalized it by creating an electronic knowledge database called Eureka for tips. National Semiconductor encouraged informal groups of engineers reviewing chip designs to form Communities of Practice to share their expertise. Anderson Consulting supported voluntary Communities of Practice where employees spent 2 hours per week to collectively address issues and contribute to professional development.

Uploaded by

Aman Prajapati
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as RTF, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Parallel Learning structures: Examples in the organizational context

Case 1: Xerox Corporation

Xerox found that its technical representatives (tech reps) often made it a point to spend time not with
customers but with each other. The tech reps would gather in common areas (the local parts warehouse
or coffee pot) and swap stories from the field. Rather than trying to discourage this practice to improve
productivity, Xerox decided to formalize the knowledge exchange.

These technicians were knowledge workers in the truest sense. The tech reps were not just repairing
machines; they were also coproducing insights about how to repair machines better. Rich knowledge
transfer took place through these conversations that were not a step in any formal "business process" or
a box in any official "org chart."

So Xerox turned conventional wisdom on its head. Rather than eliminate the informal conversations in
pursuit of corporate efficiency, the corporation decided to expand them in the name of learning and
innovation.

Xerox uses a system called Eureka. Eureka is an electronic "knowledge refinery" that organizes and
categorizes a database of tips generated by the field staff. Technically, Eureka is a relational database of
hypertext documents. In practice, it's an electronic version of war stories told around the coffee pot.
Eureka has the added benefits of an institutional memory, expert validation, and a search engine.

Eureka operates as a free-flowing knowledge democracy, much like the natural, informal collaborations
among tech reps. The system relies on voluntary information exchanges. All tech reps, regardless of rank,
can submit a tip, but they are neither required to nor are they explicitly rewarded. In Eureka, the
incentive is to be a good colleague, to contribute and receive knowledge as a member of the community.

Case 2: National Semiconductor

At National Semiconductor, an informal community of engineers who specialize in one critical technology
began conducting joint reviews of new chip designs. As word spread within the company, other product
groups started bringing designs to this group (on a strictly "off-the-org-chart basis") to solicit its advice.
The more reviews this group has done, the more effective it has become-earning a company-wide
reputation for excellence.

What these engineers found is that they cannot simply publish their "rules" and teach the rest of
organization how to do design reviews. The practice and knowledge is embedded in the community that
created it. The only way to learn the practice is to become a member. The best way to access the
knowledge is to interact with the community. Therefore, National Semiconductor encourages and
supports the formation of Communities of Practice (CoPs). (CoPs is their name for Parallel Learning
Structures.)

CoPs are a small group of people (in this case, about 20) who have worked together over a period of
time. At National Semiconductor, a CoP is not a team, not a task force, not necessarily an authorized or
identified group. People in CoPs can perform the same job or collaborate on a shared task or work
together on a product. They are peers in the execution of "real work." What holds them together is a
common sense of purpose and a real need to know what each other knows.

Case 3: Anderson Consulting Education

Anderson Consulting managers believe that groups of people can collectively address issues of
importance to the organization as a whole. By doing so, they could learn something new and valuable
that would contribute directly to their own professional development and indirectly to the success of the
organization. Anderson Consulting supported the formation of Communities of Practice (Parallel
Learning Structures). The organization set aside resources to allow each employee to spend about 2
hours per week in Community of Practice activities. Participation is purely voluntary. Leadership does not
pressure employees to join particular groups because they want the community's culture to develop and
mature on its own. The Community of Practice charter calls the program a "professional self-
development association" and features a statement of mission and goals: "The community's success
depends primarily on participants working together effectively for a common purpose-learning."

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