**1. Introduction**

332 New Research on Knowledge Management Models and Methods

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Today's society has enshrined knowledge and worker training as strategic elements in organisations, viewing individual and collective intellectual capital as one of the main resources available to them in achieving their mission. In this context, organisations are seeking new strategies that enable their employees to share experiences, impressions and knowledge, aware that what makes an organisation competitive is its ability to develop the human capital it has at its disposal.

Isolated professionals that interact solely with themselves or with their materials no longer make sense; rather what truly matters is the configuration of human groups that are in constant interaction through networks or communities. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that organisations are determinedly seeking how to foster collaborative processes and the development of the environments that facilitate them (Gairín, 2011).

Education professionals and school networks are an excellent tool to instigate improvements in the educational systems. These networks can be established between professionals at the same schools, between schools and education and social services from a same town, between educational and professional centres from different towns and communities or even between professionals from different countries.

The information and communication technologies can be an opportunity and a powerful weapon when setting up a new collaborative professional culture, which is so necessary in our day. First, they open up and improve the possibilities for collaboration, which is further enhanced with the implementation and gradual development of tools related to the concept of Web 2.0; secondly, when used properly, ICTs help to systematise the processes of knowledge exchange, creation and management that take place. The desirable knowledgebased organisation which not only stimulates the creation and management of knowledge but also fosters its transfer and support in diverse media is becoming more of a reality to us. The new forms of work based on the virtual network, such as virtual communities, remote networks and collaborative work environments thus fulfil their objective with the aid of technology, which becomes a fundamental tool for the exchange of information, knowledge, learning and experiences and for the creation of new knowledge.

Several studies and publications confirm that the establishment of networks and communities encourages knowledge creation and professional development processes (Aubusson et al., 2007; Dering, Cunningham & Whitby, 2006; Kimmble & Hildreth, 2005;

Agents and Processes in Knowledge Creation

(www.portalinnova.org).

difficulties by themselves.

(henceforth CoPs).

procedures and positive attitudes towards change.

and Management in Educational Organisations 335

reality around us. Likewise, we must act from or with institutional frameworks where the goal is to generate synergies and leave an embedded capacity related to strategies,

Collaboration among professionals *is considered useful* in that it helps to overcome the individualism to which professional activities often lead. In fact, collective work can help us to shift from one activity with others, to one activity in conjunction with others, a collaborative activity, and ultimately it can facilitate a community of interests and a shared culture. Collaboration boosts the creative potential of the resulting team, and the technology of the solutions that they adopt is more proven. We can also mention higher performance in human resources and how they make more profitable use of the material and functional resources available to them. Collaboration enables and challenges reflection on one's own activity, with connotations of personal, collective and institutional improvement. In fact, professional exchanges can broaden perspectives and improve ways of doing things, such as by augmenting the participants' professionalism. Duly channelled in the organisation's processes and results, collaboration provides the members of the organisation with the skill and experience already existing in the organisation and enables new members to integrate quickly and fully. Finally, collaboration strengthens collective activity and a view of

Collaboration among professionals *is considered possible*, as denoted by the numerous examples and existing evidence. As proof we can cite the collaborative processes which are taking place in the world of education and internally encompass both the coordination of certain students' problems and the organisation and operation of teams of teachers, while externally they encompass associations of schools under the same organisational parameters, groups of schools in rural areas, associations of adult schools, networks of schools, associations between secondary schools and companies or between schools and universities, and collaborative actions promoted within broader contexts such as environmental plans, the City Educational Project and the Innova portal

Our current models of social, cultural and economic functioning increasingly support collective undertakings and participatory processes. This is the result of not only living in democratic contexts but also the conviction that in complex settings like ours today innovation and change depend more on the outcome of a collective activity than on the existence of extraordinary individuals capable of motivating desires and overcoming

As has been suggested, the creation of networks and communities fosters collaboration among professions and processes of knowledge creation and professional development, thus justifying many organisations' interest in fostering social and professional ties among their members. We can find references in this vein in professional **Communities of Practice**

Many authors (Bolam et al., 2005, Collison & Parcell, 2003, Dalkir, 2005, Hardon, 2005, Hargreaves & Giles, 2003, Milton, 2005) use the terms 'network' and 'community' synonymously. However, it is important to point out that some experts distinguish clearly between the two (Cummings & Van Zee, 2005, Despres & Chauvel, 2000, Müller-Prothmann, 2006, Wenger & Snyder, 2000), basing this distinction on the boundaries, from the standpoint of social interaction and belonging, which characterise Communities of Practice (henceforth CoP) yet do not exist in networks. Table 1 outlines some of the characteristics which can help

us to differentiate between terms similar to 'community of practice'.

organisations as communities of training and professional development.

Klein, Connel & Meyer, 2005; Leinonen & Järvelä, 2006; Jeon, Kim & Koh, 2011; Ragachari, 2011, Schenkel & Teigland, 2008; Usora et al, 2007; Wenger, 1999, Zang & Watts, 2007).

"Among the chief reasons why communities of practice are efficient tools for knowledge generation and sharing is the fact that the most of a firm's competitive advantage is embedded in the intangible, tacit knowledge of its people and that competencies do not exist apart from the people who develop them" (Ardichvili, Page & Wentling, 2003, p. 65).

From a relational approach, knowledge is understood as socially constructed resource and, therefore, Knowledge Creation and Management (henceforth KCM) processes should be concentrated on social relations and/or professionals who connect the different agents involved. In this sense, it is obvious that organisational solutions that foster those relations, such as communities of practice (CoPs), are an interesting way of promoting KCM.

Over and above the use of CoPs, the development of KCM strategies entails the theoretical and practical command of processes for measuring, creating and disseminating individual and collective knowledge, and the participation of different agents with a clear definition of responsibilities and functions which ensure the proper development of these processes and, therefore, the success of the KCM strategy.

The handful of KCM studies and experiences in the field of education (Petrides & Nguyen, 2006; Sallis & Jones, 2002) which provide theoretical and practical knowledge on the processes and agents of KCM are the motivation behind this article,1 which aims to provide practical answers for the development of KCM processes in educational organisations.

In this chapter, we shall note the requirements and benefits of collaborative work among professionals, develop a theoretical survey of the leading processes and agents traditionally linked to KCM processes based on Communities of Practice (henceforth CoPs) and, based on the research, outline a proposal on the essential roles, functions and processes for the design, development and evaluation of any KCM strategy in educational organisations.
