Utilisation of Communities of Practice in the Humanities at the Universities of KwaZulu- Natal Zululand, South Africa

Abstract

Higher education institutions need to value and nurture the knowledge of, and support social interactions among, academics if they are to maintain a competitive edge. The utilization of communities of practice is one strategy that may be used to foster social interaction and enhance performance of an institution through collaboration and knowledge sharing. A study was conducted to establish the extent to which communities of practice were defined and utilised to facilitate the sharing of knowledge among academics in the humanities at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the University of Zululand. Questionnaires, focus groups and a semi- Afr. J. Lib, Arch. & Inf. Sc. Vol. 19, No. 1 (2009) 1 - 12 Utilisation of Communities of Practice in the Humanities at the Universities of KwaZulu- Natal Zululand, South Africa structured interview were used to collect data. The study revealed that some academics at the two institutions utilised communities of practice to share knowledge. Lack of support from the institutions and organizational culture prevented some academics from belonging to communities of practice. The study also established that both institutions did not have a policy on communities of practice.