I received the news today that my article, to be published in ETR&D, describing a theoretical framework for understanding Communities of Innovation is available online at Springer. It should come out in print sometime next year. This article presents the framework for my current dissertation work. I hope others find these ideas interesting, as I do, and definitely provide me any feedback that you have!
Here is the abstract:
Abstract The twenty-first century economy often requires the innovative production of conceptual and physical artifacts. These innovations frequently are developed collaboratively within communities of workers. Previous theories about the nature of work and learning within communities have emphasized shared meaning or shared practice, but now shared innovation is required. In this paper, I describe the development of a model for conceptualizing and studying shared innovation within communities. This model was created from merging elements of social learning and creativity/innovation theories. I explain that at an intersection of these two domains is a unique kind of social structure, called a Community of Innovation, or COI. I conclude by describing the characteristics of a COI and its implications for design and research.