• University of Amsterdam

• Digital

Acces to practical knowledge through reflections

A common challenge for digital platforms that support communities of practice is in finding ways to connect newly emerging knowledge to local areas where specialisation is actually happening. Looking at IKEA, and knowing it well as an employee, it is obvious that this global home furnishing retailer is continually enhancing its knowledge in order to keep its competitive advantage. Newly acquired knowledge is made available to the workforce through digital platforms to enhance ways of working, leading to further specialisation. This poses the question, ‘can a digital platform close the loop between the enhancement of local expertise, and still be relevant on a global scale? Can this local, practical knowledge become a back-and-forth sharing of craft knowledge globally?’

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