Use of Knowledge Management to Enhance International Research Collaboration

With globalization and rapid changes in the international research environment from technological advancement, political instability, and economic crisis, knowledge management (KM) is crucial to help research institutions operate international research collaboration (IRC) effectively and sustainably. This study uses systematic literature review to extract key KM factors for IRC enhancement. Exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modeling methods are performed to confirm KM factors and explore how key KM and IRC factors relate to each other. Several KM strategies are established based on study results to achieve sustainable IRC development. The results show that five key KM factors, including knowledge sharing (KS), knowledge creation (KC), knowledge retention (KR), knowledge storage (KT), and knowledge utilization (KU), influence each other. They have both direct and indirect impacts on IRC. The KU factor is crucial for immediate IRC improvement. Research institutions can use existing knowledge and resources to address current IRC opportunities. For example, personnel with IRC experience can act as coaches and mentors to facilitate activities, and integrating IRC into career paths can be beneficial. Activities related to KC, KR, and KT should support KU implementation. Setting up a task force, improving organizational structure, and engaging management in KM can help achieve better IRC performance. The KS factor should be emphasized for sustaining IRC. The plan should involve activities to raise the processes of knowledge sharing effectively. The study results provide guidelines for research institutions aiming for sustainable IRC in the long term.