DefinePK

Abstract

Alliances and partnerships are approaches in which organizations can work together to obtain defined goals. The need for faster, more flexible, and less risky ways for organizations has increasingly led towards the formation and proliferation of networking strategies and partners. Teams are more effective than individuals as knowledge and skills are shared among groups to reach the knowledge targets. However, Communities of practice (CoP) can provide exceptional benefits and reveal new opportunities for knowledge sharing including alternative sources to support academic programs for researchers and faculty in the universities through innovative learning environments and promoting research culture. This paper aims at assessing that how Communities of Practice – CoPs influence research teams through developing knowledge-base, academic alliances, and research collaborationamong universities of Balochistan. This study presents that CoPs positively affects developing academic linkages / alliances with other universities of the region for knowledge-sharing. It elucidates the overall impact of CoPs on building alliances among universities. The research follows a mixed-method approach with qualitative and quantitative research. However, the study concludes that CoP influences the process of knowledge-sharing through developing and managing linkages among universities forthe promotion of research culture and innovation. Based on the findings, the study recommends further horizons for similar research pertaining to the knowledge transfer and barriers in knowledge-sharing for CoPs within organizations and institutions.