Role of Knowledge Management in Developing Higher Education Partnerships: Towards a Conceptual Model

This conceptual model (see appendix 1) demonstrates the important role of Knowledge Management (KM) in facilitating the composition and development of strategic partnerships in the higher education sector. The conceptual model is composed of five different categories, demonstrating the linkage between KM elements and practices that are important in the establishment of sustainable partnership. The first category consists of behavioural KM constructs and is present and active throughout the entire stages of partnership. The four identified elements are culture, trust, absorption capacities and communication which establish the stability and assist with development of the partnership and are presented as the roots of the KM partnership tree. The second category looks at partnership factors and aims to pinpoint aspects that need to be considered at a strategic level and shape the collaboration of partners. The third category seeks to classify the institutional factors from an individual organisational point of view that would enable the organisation to join the partnership and perform at an adequate level. Furthermore, the fourth category seeks to identify a set of KM activities required to facilitate the transferability of knowledge across partners. The fifth category of this model is titled the external factors, and it discusses possible influences deriving from the political conditions, socio-economic circumstances, any possible changes within the legal framework of the country or industry and technological developments. The formulation of these five categories aims to provide a holistic KM model within the context of strategic partnerships among higher educational institutions by integrating diverse perspectives of KM with factors that are found in individual organisations and required at partnership levels