Identifying the success factors of Communities of Practice (CoPs)

Abstract

Purpose – This paper aims to identify the success factors of communities of practice (CoPs) that will improve knowledge creation (KC) in educational organizations. Today, educational organizations are faced with constant changes in their environment. These changes have forced organizations to view their human capital as knowledge capital to survive and thrive. CoPs can be one of the most important factors to achieve these goals, and it should be considered by educational organizations. Design/methodology/approach – The present paper tries to identify the success factors of CoPs and examine the impact of the success factors of CoPs in KC. The research method is descriptive. The population of the research consists of students of Payame Noor University as a case study. A questionnaire based on experts’ opinion was designed and more than 35 articles were reviewed. Factor analysis was used to categorize and examine the correlation between success factors of CoPs and KC and, finally, the regression equation based on correlation’ result was formed. Findings – The results showed six success factors: “organization”, “optimizing interactions”, “infrastructure”, “supporting tools”, “strategy and goals” and “organizational support”. These factors reflect the effective factors in educational organizations attempting to progress in KC should focus. Among these success factors, “strategy and goals” and “organization” have the highest effect on CoPs in this case. Research limitations/implications – The paper discusses how the success factors of CoPs improve KC in universities as educational organization and how an organization will benefit from these factors. It can help the development of guidelines for educational organizations to increase their community knowledge information. They can also apply the findings of this research to promote the scientific level of their related organizations through reinforcement of CoP practices. In this paper, the authors faced some problems to collect expert’s opinion and also gather the questionnaires. Originality/value – This paper may have great value to researchers, as well as practitioners involved in knowledge-creation programs in organizations about CoPs and the knowledge-creation field. This research can establish guidelines for Payame Noor University Tehran-North as a case study using the right policies and make changes to the traditional structures of the university, improve and develop the knowledge-creation process and the formation of CoPs. This study can guide managers and, especially, the university managers to provide suitable base to shape COPs, help them emerge and enhance them effectively.

Factors that enable knowledge creation in higher education: a structural model

“…In their research, Syysnummi and Laihonen (2014) identified that the managerial process and enabling knowledge structures could support teachers in their diverse knowledge tasksgathering, creating, sharing and clarifying knowledge. Other components of the organizational context that relate to effective knowledge management are social networks, social capital and communities of practice (Kim and Lee, 2010;Bozu and Muñoz, 2009;Akhavan et al, 2015). Social capital as a key contributor and an enabler of knowledge management (Bharati et al, 2015) can influence the KC process in universities.…”

Improving public sector knowledge sharing through communities of practice

“…A community of practice (CoP) is a powerful and widespread collaborative process that supports knowledge sharing and practice improvements (Aljuwaiber, 2016). A CoP is characterised by rich conversations and mutual exchange of practice-rooted knowledge (Agrifoglio, 2015;Akhavan et al, 2015), which facilitate the development of a socially embedded joint practice (Orr, 1996;Wenger et al, 2002;Pyrko et al, 2017). CoPs are formed by a: [.…”

“…While CoPs were initially regarded as a self-organising emergent phenomenon (Lave and Wenger, 1991;Li et al, 2009), there is mounting evidence that they can be intentionally developed (Chu, 2016;Iaquinto et al, 2011;Ng and Ang, 2007;Jassbi et al, 2015) to support knowledge sharing both in a business (Aljuwaiber, 2016) and public (Amayah, 2013) context. However, empirical evidence about the impact of intentional CoP development in PSOs remains insufficient, especially when compared with the private sector (Sallán et al, 2012;Blunk and Prilla, 2017;Pee and Kankanhalli, 2016;Akhavan et al, 2015). Also, there is little evidence about how PSOs' contextual factors (i.e.…”

Validating the Impact of FIRST as a New Learner Experience Framework for Teachers Professional Development

“…In addition, CoP builds on social learning theory identified and studied for the first time by Lave and Wenger (1991) where learning within a community of practice takes place informally as a result of interactions and group dynamics among its participants. CoP may help participants to learn, construct a new knowledge and experience based on the individual experience and knowledge of its members and foster transforming of knowledge and experiences (Kennedy 2005;Akhavan et al 2015).…”