ABSTRACT

The core mission of a learning community is to foster a network that encourages creativity and innovation in the process of creating value from both tangible and intangible resources. This chapter looks at two quite distinct enterprises that are in the vanguard of creating learning communities that provide them with a competitive edge and pave the way for the creation of real value. Two quite distinct enterprises are: illycaffe, S.p.A. (illy) in Italy and Cooperative Home Care Associates (CHCA) in the Bronx, New York. Illy is a family-owned, Italian premium coffee company that focuses on quality in all aspects of its business. The company, focusing its business on one single blend of coffee, tends to avoid mass consumer retailing. For illy, learning and innovation have always been at the heart of its business. The world is undergoing a paradigm shift from an industrial age of tangible goods to an innovation age of intangible services and experiences.