The current state and prospects of professional communities development in Russia

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to substantiate the innovative role of external professional communities (Communities of Practice, CoP) in the successful development of the business community as a whole and to assess the possibility and necessity of their creation on the basis of KIBS. The research conducted by the authors revealed the difference between the perception and expectations of employees from participating in the activities of professional communities. There was a trend towards digitalization, interdisciplinarity, and the use of game mechanics as new forms of engagement. The study compared corporate and external professional communities and identified the advantages of the latter. The authors identify the key functions of professional communities, the main barriers to their development, prospects for transformation. The conducted research allowed us to develop recommendations on improving the effectiveness of professional communities as drivers of innovation, competence development and increasing the competitiveness of companies and specialists. It has been revealed that the effectiveness of these associations directly depends on the quality of the formats, the activity of the participants and the support of employers.