Networks of Excellence as Virtual Communities

in relation to the learning process in 1991 by Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger (1991) at the Institute for Research on Learning as part of an attempt to “rethink learning.” In 1998, Wenger extended this concept and applied it to other contexts, including organizational settings (Wenger, 1998). Around 1991, Nonaka began to present his theories of knowledge management to explain the role of knowledge creation processes in stimulating innovation and creativity but also in increasing company competitiveness. In 1995, Nonaka and Takeuchi published The Knowledge Creating Company, in which they present a complex theory about knowledge management. Western organizations and managers have quickly learned from the experience gained in the culture of Japanese companies. Hence, the Japanese style in knowledge management initiatives, which is centered on nontechnological techniques for applying discipline to tacit knowledge transfer and innovation, has been adopted under new conditions and by different cultures. Koulopoulos and Frappaolo (1999) explained the notion of an ad-hoc or virtual team as a recombinant structure for work that quickly combines people and resources to solve a particular problem or client issue. Market globalization has forced organizations to go beyond the limitations of space and time. Using advances in information and computer technology (ICT), they have built virtual teams as part of real