Motivation and participation in communitites of practices (CoPs) ad their relationship with knowledge transfer in the Andalusian public administration

Abstract

Purpose: This article examines professional communities of practice (hereinafter, CoPs) as platforms that catalyse professional knowledge transfer. It explores the role of these groups as key spaces for collaborative learning and the transfer of expertise in professional contexts. Drawing on a theoretical framework that integrates contemporary definitions and emerging typologies, such as virtual, transdisciplinary, and extended communities, the study highlights the potential of CoPs to create applied learning environments in which motivation and participation act as drivers of innovation and professional improvement. The research focuses on analysing how these two factors influence the generation of professional knowledge, giving rise to learning in practice, product design, and the transfer of professional knowledge. The evidence gathered suggests that a favourable organisational climate, together with high levels of engagement, enhances participants’ productivity and professional development. This study makes an empirical contribution to the field by linking the internal dynamics of CoPs to their contextual impact on the improvement of work-related and training practices.

Design/methodology: Data collection focused on six CoPs selected on the basis of a questionnaire. A total of 58 individuals belonging to these groups participated (representing a 25.7% response rate). The selection criteria emerged from a cluster analysis that identified three sectors (or three types of CoPs), which served as the basis for conducting focus group interviews. The selection was not primarily based on numerical representativeness, but rather on alignment with the team types identified through the cluster analysis. This approach aimed to enhance the diversity of perspectives and increase the interpretative depth of the qualitative findings by capturing nuances specific to each CoP profile.

Contributions and results: CoPs facilitate the acquisition of knowledge and promote horizontal collaboration and collective intelligence, which are essential for innovation and organisational efficiency. They constitute a mechanism for competency development, collaboration, and the transformation of professional practices.

Limitations: The study’s limitations are primarily related to the sample. Participant availability constrained the possibility of expanding the sample size. In the public administration context, staff mobility across territories is common, which meant that some CoP coordinators were not in the same workplace at the time of data collection.

Practical implications: CoPs offer the capacity to deliberately create and manage knowledge and transfer it to the workplace, thereby reducing the gap between theory and practice and strengthening professional development and expert knowledge.

Social implications: Human relationships and their impact on the work environment strengthen social and collective intelligence, increase commitment to the community, and foster a sense of belonging and perceived usefulness of the outputs produced.

Added value: CoPs bring about changes in professional practices and enable improvements to be consolidated and integrated into everyday work routines. The development of structured procedures standardizes processes, enhances efficiency, and optimises resource management.