Etienne Wenger is a globally recognized thought leader in the field of learning theory and its application to business.
He is a pioneer of the "communities of practice" research.
After working as a teacher for many years, he got a Ph.D. in artificial intelligence from the University of California at Irvine, and joined the Institute for Research on Learning, where he developed a new learning theory centered on the concept of community of practice.
It is commonplace to say that people are the most important resource in organizations. Yet we seldom understand this truism in terms of the communities in which individuals develop the capacity to create and share knowledge. These communities of practice are an organization's most versatile and dynamic knowledge resource.
Etienne is the author of numerous articles and a number of books, including:
While his inquiry is rooted in fundamental questions about human learning, knowledge, identity, and meaning, his work does not remain philosophical. He applies his insights to very practical issues of organizational design, knowledge management, and business strategy.
He is now an independent consultant, researcher, author, and speaker. He works with people interested in developing new kinds of organizational, technological, and educational designs that leverage the synergy between learning and community. He helps organizations apply these ideas through consulting, workshops, and public speaking. His clients include Chevron, DaimlerChrysler, McKinsey, National SemiConductor, Shell, the Veterans Administration, and Xerox. He is also a founding member of the Social Capital Group and on the faculty of the on-line Knowledge Ecology University, where he teaches courses on communities of practice.
Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning, and Identity
Cultivating Communities of Practice: A Guide to Managing Knowledge