Gigonomics, Human Resources Development and the New World of Law Firms
Barbara J. Durkin

The traditional law firm model has undergone a perfect storm. Clients are demanding increased efficiency and lower costs, refusing to pay for "armies" of junior associates to work on their litigation. Law firm leaders and managers are clamoring for more profits at the same time that costs, especially those related to labor, have increased dramatically. Associates, primarily those who are of the Gen X and Millennial generations, are finding that their needs and values are not always consonant with those of law firms.

Promoting Knowledge Sharing in Virtual Communities of Practice: Effects of the Cooperative Type and Tie Strength
Jae Kyung Kim

In communities of practice (CoP), members share knowledge related to common interests to solve organizational problems and tasks (Constant, Sproull, and Kiesler, 1996; Hiltz, Johnson, and Turoff, 1986; Walther, 1994; Wellman and Gulia, 1999). Rational choice and Nash equilibrium models assume that rational participants can use information from others because generating new knowledge requires time and effort, and rational self-interest choice seeks benefits without incurring costs (Nash, 1950). However, in real world settings interaction and information exchange take place.