Research on Factors Influencing Knowledge Transfer and Managerial Mechanisms in the Community of Practice

Increasingly, the ability to transfer knowledge in an organization is viewed as basis for competitive advantage. One promising method used to facilitate knowledge transfer is the creation of community of practice (CoP) in an organization. The purpose of this paper is to explore the key factors that have significant influences on the ability to transfer knowledge in a community of practice. To begin with, it describes the characteristics of a CoP and discusses these influential factors respectively, then integrates into a conceptual framework. Finally, it concludes some managerial mechanisms to instruct the organizations to transfer knowledge well.