Japan's learning communities in Hewlett-Packard Consulting and Integration: Challenging one-size fits all solutions

Purpose ‐ This paper aims to explain and analyze community-based corporate knowledge sharing and organizational learning, the actual use of communities in Hewlett Packard (HP) Consulting and Integration (CI) and their role in leveraging and exploiting existing and creating new knowledge. Design/methodology/approach ‐ The paper presents an explanatory case study research design, qualitative interviews with top executives, middle managers and employees conducted in 2005 and 2006. Explanatory case studies were used to analyze, illustrate and exemplify major findings. Findings ‐ The paper identified an effective approach to community-based knowledge sharing and organizational learning at HP CI Japan's learning communities (LCs). The case study illustrates the main characteristics, features and mechanisms of communities within the framework of HP's global and local knowledge management (KM) structure and resulting activities, and illuminates effective adaptation to the Japanese working and business context. Research limitations/implications ‐ General limitations of case studies and generalizability of such field research apply. Practical implications ‐ The research has important implications for firms and business practitioners by highlighting how HP's Japanese-style LCs facilitate intra-organizational knowledge sharing and creation. Originality/value ‐ This paper presents a real-life example of an effective community at HP CI Japan, its mechanism and practical value for companies. Even though HP's KM activities have frequently been researched, HP CI's learning communities are discussed for the first time and illuminate that even within one single company there is no one-size-fits-all solution.