Creating New Markets Is a Team Effort: Building New Connections and Sharing Knowledge in a Multi-State Community of Practice
Many public agencies and private organizations work to promote and support forestry and the forest products industry, including economic developers. Connections among these groups, though, are limited; and current and pending retirements from Baby Boomer-era employees at public agencies are further...
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| Format: | Dissertation |
| Language: | English |
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ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
01-01-2023
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| Online Access: | Get full text |
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| Summary: | Many public agencies and private organizations work to promote and support forestry and the forest products industry, including economic developers. Connections among these groups, though, are limited; and current and pending retirements from Baby Boomer-era employees at public agencies are further reducing these connections. This action research study focused on identifying challenges and solutions related to forest economic development. This study’s focus was: What is learned at an individual, group and systems level that advances theory and practice in a group of diverse forest economic development stakeholders. The purpose of this action research project was to identify, design, implement and evaluate challenges and solutions that would connect these diverse stakeholders and promote knowledge-sharing and learning. An action research (AR) team that included members with backgrounds in forest utilization and marketing, economic development, and forestry economics led the study, which was guided by social capital, knowledge-sharing and community of practice theories. The AR Team designed an in-person intervention (summit) for clarification of the problem and brainstorming of solutions followed by creation of a multi-state, multi-organization virtual Community of Practice (CoP) to further connections, build social capital and encourage knowledge-sharing.Within the AR team, there was significant evidence of high levels of trust and knowledge-sharing, as well as benefits from their participation. Data from CoP members suggested high levels of trust, social capital, and willingness to share knowledge, but only structural, relational, and cognitive social capital were significantly related to tacit knowledge-sharing. There was evidence of innovative outcomes from the summit and from interaction in the CoP among members. Findings from the study suggest that including boundary-spanners with knowledge of multiple industries have a strong influence on better problem identification and solutions. In addition, creating cross-organizational connections among employees from public agencies with similar positions will enable better knowledge transfer within the organization and across an industry, especially where positions are unique within an organization and only include one or two positions. Lastly, this study suggests that industry type may strongly influence willingness to share knowledge, and should be accounted for when creating connections across industries and across different jurisdictions (ie. state, regional, sub-regional, etc.). |
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| ISBN: | 9798381419290 |