Structural issues and knowledge management in transnational education partnerships

• Published in: Journal of European industrial training 2007-06, Vol.31 (5), p.358-376
• Main Authors: Walton, John S., Guarisco, Gisèle
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Business Administration Education; Case Studies; Cognition & reasoning; Cognitive ability; Cultural differences; Differences; Education; Educational partnerships; Embedded systems; England (London); Explicit knowledge; Feedback (Response); Foreign Countries; Higher education; Institutional Characteristics; International Cooperation; Knowledge Management; Labor Force Development; Learning; Learning Processes; Longitudinal Studies; Network Analysis; Organizational learning; Partnering; Partnerships in Education; Roles; Russia (Moscow); Social network analysis; Social Networks; Social structure; Studies; System theory; Thinking Skills; Transnationalism; Universities
• ISSN: 0309-0590; 2046-9012; 1758-7425; 2046-9020
• DOI: 10.1108/03090590710756800

Purpose - The purpose of this research is to analyse knowledge flows within a transnational educational partnership and to use social network analysis to map out structural differences between the two partners and the evolution of these differences over time.Design methodology approach - A single longitudinal case study social network analysis is undertaken over a ten-year period based on semi-structured interviews with key informants supported by observational and archival data.Findings - The investigation identifies feedback, feed-forward and feed-across knowledge transfer processes resulting in shared personal learning within the network zone and increasing institutionalisation of acquired knowledge.Research limitations implications - The findings are based on a single case study setting and further research with similar partnerships needs to be undertaken to establish points of comparison.Practical implications - How diagrammatic representation can be used to capture key structural issues that underpin the knowledge management process in loosely formed organisational settings.Originality value - The paper presents a new diagnostic-enabling knowledge management model that helps address issues of how knowledge flows transfer can be analysed and identified between partners at individual, group and organisational level. This model also identifies the inter-organisational space that bounds the social network under discussion.