Leadership for facilitating team communities of practice: an exploratory study

Purpose This study aims to exploratorily examine leadership styles that facilitate team communities of practice (CoPs). Design/methodology/approach On the basis of a scale development approach, this study developed a three-dimensional leadership measurement scale for team CoPs using three datasets. Findings First, items were generated by qualitatively analyzing open-ended questionnaire data (n = 59) from employees who perceived their teams as CoPs. Second, exploratory factor analyses were performed using quantitative questionnaire survey data (n = 309), and three dimensions were extracted: facilitating open discussion, supporting problem-solving and promoting knowledge sharing. Third, the three-dimensional model was validated by confirmatory factor analysis using different questionnaire survey data (n = 309). The structural equation modeling results showed that only promoting knowledge sharing was directly and positively related to team CoPs, whereas facilitating open discussion and supporting problem-solving were positively related to team CoPs, mediated by promoting knowledge sharing. Originality/value Although only limited quantitative studies have investigated the effect of leadership on CoPs, this study found a structural leadership model for facilitating team CoPs. Based on these findings, the study proposed a three-step leadership model for facilitating team CoPs.