: The organization is but one frame of reference for understanding work behavior. Equally powerful but largely unexplored social forces in the workplace are groups sired by the perception of common task. After developing the concept of an occupational community as a framework for analyzing the phenomenological boundaries of work worlds, the authors show how research on occupational communities can broaden our knowledge of careers, control, conflict, and innovation, topics traditionally approached from an organizational perspective.
The recently developed knowledge-based view of the firm argues that knowledge is the firm’s most valuable resource. Within this field of study, informal social networks are rapidly gaining attention as mechanisms that facilitate knowledge flows. Electronic networks of practice are a special case of informal networks where the sharing of practice-related knowledge occurs primarily through computer-based communication technologies. However, we know relatively little about the dynamics of knowledge exchange that occur in these electronic networks. This paper posits that there is a relationship between the structural properties of electronic networks of practice and successful knowledge exchange. The theoretical positions of social network theory and the knowledge-based view of the firm are used to support this claim.
The construct validity of the Verbal Comprehension. Perceptual Organization, and Freedom from Distractibility factor scores was examined in a sample of school-aged referred children. Examination of correlations between factor scores and neuropsychological and achievement tests generally supported the construct validity of the factors. The Verbal Comprehension factor was associated with verbal, quantitative, and concept-formation abilities. The Perceptual Organization factor was related to nonverbal concept formation, tactual performance, and visual attention. The Freedom from Distractibility factor demonstrated a complex pattern of correlations and appeared to reflect a range of abilities including quantitative, language, attentional, and concept formation.