Situated learning and change in organisational practices: learning the ropes of the commercialization of academic research

This paper takes a practice-based perspective on organisational learning and change and sheds light on the social processes that underlie effective changes in organisational practices. In particular, it investigates why and how practices of organisational communities of practice are transformed. I propose that management’s strategic practices can shape learning trajectories of organisational communities of practice in order to stimulate transformations in the practices that are in line with the strategic goals. Thus the paper argues that situated learning not only drives emergent changes but also enables deliberate change, planned by organisational strategists. I design a conceptual framework which synthesises insights from studies of situated change, studies of situated learning and studies of strategizing in order to address this proposition. The case studies of four Knowledge Transfer Offices in UK universities have shown that three strategic practices were commonly adopted to shape situated learning in the communities of practice and transformations of practices. Differences in transformative power of these three strategic practices are discussed.