Discovering innovation opportunities based on SECI model: reconfiguring knowledge dynamics of the agricultural artisan production of agave-mezcal, using emerging technologies
Journal of Knowledge Management
ISSN: 1367-3270
Article publication date: 5 June 2020
Issue publication date: 8 March 2021
Abstract
Purpose
Following the recommendation of the food and agriculture organization of the United Nations in agricultural innovation, for taking advantage of emerging technologies, in benefit of small-farmers, the present study explores one of the most ancient crops in the world that privileging the application of tacit knowledge, to become a succulent plant called agave, into the so-called drink of the gods, the mezcal. For this, the purpose of this study is to discover innovation opportunities and reconfiguring knowledge interaction dynamics of the agricultural artisan production of agave-mezcal from Oaxaca, Mexico, using emerging technologies
Design/methodology/approach
Following a qualitative-quantitative approach, the study was carried out with 44 mezcal producers from Oaxaca, Mexico, through face-to-face session, questionaries’ application and field visits, based on the model of socialization, externalization, combination and internalization (SECI) through Likert-scale questions, combining the non-parametric statistical analysis and digital compass, for the detection of technological opportunities
Findings
Basing on artisanal process, context-knowledge place, technological resources and SECIs model results, the opportunities must go in the route of labour in the logic of digital performance. In this sense, becomes relevant to develop an easy-use mobile application for improving the interaction of mezcaleros with external agents and another’s producers., A second proposal is the creation of mezcal-tech-hub, thinking as collaborative space, for promoting the interaction producer-to-producer and producer-to-external agent.
Originality/value
The value of the present study is the empirical description of knowledge dynamics interaction contained in the agricultural artisan production of agave-mezcal through SECI model; the identification of problems, failure or barriers contained in the knowledge interaction dynamics of the agricultural artisan production agave-mezcal; the proposal of innovation opportunities for reconfiguring the knowledge interaction dynamics of the agricultural artisan production agave-mezcal from a developing economy, using emerging technologies.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors appreciate the support of the National Council for Science and Technology from Mexico (Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología CONACYT), specially to the programme “Catedras CONACYT”.Disclosure statement: The authors declare no potential conflict of interest.Research funding: This study was supported by the National Council for Science and Technology from Mexico (Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología CONACYT), under the project titled “Protection, sustainability and exploitment of ecosystem of the agave biodiversity: Mezcal productive chain from the states of Aguascalientes, municipalities of Pinos and Villa Hidalgo, Zacatecas and Oaxaca state” ID 2015-01-1406.
Citation
Flores Torres, C.L., Olvera-Vargas, L.A., Sánchez Gómez, J. and Contreras-Medina, D.I. (2021), "Discovering innovation opportunities based on SECI model: reconfiguring knowledge dynamics of the agricultural artisan production of agave-mezcal, using emerging technologies", Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 25 No. 2, pp. 336-359. https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-01-2020-0078
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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