Aim/Purpose: The present paper focuses on the necessity of systematically incorporating knowledge produced within e-Communities of Practice (eCoPs) into formal organizational decision-making mechanisms, especially in environments of complexity, uncertainty, and accelerated digital evolution. Background: Even though eCoPs have been acknowledged as formidable tools for collaborative learning and knowledge sharing, their systematic integration into executive-level Decision Support Systems (DSS) has yet to be achieved. A coherent theoretical integration has not yet been developed. Methodology: The study takes a conceptual and design-based research approach in which the authors synthesize the modern literature on digital collaboration, knowledge management, leadership, and intelligent decision-support systems. Based on this, a knowledge-based, leadership-focused decision model is created. Contribution: The paper also proposes a reference architecture that serves as a layer of knowledge formation between eCoPs collaboration platforms and Intelligent Decision Support Systems (IDSS), facilitating two-way integration of tacit community insights and formal analytical models. In contrast to conventional data-based DSS models, the proposed model integrates socially constructed, practice-based knowledge into the decision-making process. Findings: The discussion shows that the systematic integration of knowledge generated by eCoPs makes decision-making more rational, helps address semi-structured and unstructured issues more effectively, and improves organizational learning and adaptive capacity. Recommendations for Practitioners: The eCoPs should be strategically institutionalized within organizations, supported by collaboration-enabling infrastructures coupled with decision systems, and embedded in leadership practices that encourage trust, openness, and the co-creation of knowledge. The model is especially relevant in SMEs and organizations undergoing digital transformation, where tacit knowledge is essential in strategic responsiveness. Recommendation for Researchers: In future research, the framework should be empirically tested in organizational settings, the governance and trust mechanisms of eCoPs-based decision systems should be studied, and the ways AI could be used to improve collaborative knowledge extraction and structuring should be identified. Impact on Society: The framework helps to make organizational decision-making more transparent, inclusive, and knowledge-based by formally integrating collective expertise into organizational decision systems. Future Research: Future research must use longitudinal and mixed-method designs to identify the quantifiable effects of eCoPs-created knowledge on decision quality and organizational performance, and to conduct cross-sector and cross-cultural comparisons.
Lazanas et al. (Thu,) studied this question.