Purpose – Nowadays, knowledge sharing has become a strategic source of gaining and preserving competitive advantage and collaboration between universities (centers of science) and research organizations (centers for practice). So, knowledge sharing between different organizations, is the cause of their retain in today’s competitive environment and providing the necessary platforms and infrastructure is must in this process. Accordingly, the purpose of the present study is to investigate the technical and infrastructural factors that influence knowledge sharing process in medical universities and research centers in Iran, and then identify the most effective platforms, methods and channels of inter- and intra knowledge sharing. Design/methodology/approach – The method of this paper is mixed and applied research (a combination of library and Delphi method) that was conducted in 2013. The study population considered of the faculty members of medical universities and research centres in Iran which by use of stratified sampling 423 samples selected. According to the statistical results around 17 percent of professors considered the organizational structure as acceptable. There was also a sharing of knowledge and experience of faculties in the 48/2 percent somewhat faculty teaching and research within their organization more than other organizations. From the view of faculties, conferences and forums, with an average rank of 4/93 and personnel exchanges with the average 4/24 are the most effective ways of sharing. Originality/value – A few attempts have been made to investigate success factors for inter- and intra-organizational knowledge sharing empirically or even theoretically, but this is the first of its kind that provides role of infrastructures for the knowledge sharing in medical science collaborations. It serves as a useful starting point for those interested in knowledge management. So, it can serve as a roadmap of significant knowledge sharing research for researchers, designers, and managers considering their options for fostering knowledge management. Practical implications – The outcomes of the application will provide empirical basis for planning and implementing knowledge sharing mechanisms.
Keywords – Knowledge Management, Knowledge Sharing, Information Technology, Faculty Members, University