Discovering innovation opportunities based on SECI model: reconfiguring knowledge dynamics of the agricultural artisan production of agave-mezcal, using emerging technologies

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

Innovation of Women Farmers: A Technological Proposal for Mezcalilleras’ Sustainability in Mexico, Based on Knowledge Management

“…Combination has C1 in NI, C2 in LI, C3 in NIND as dominance levels, presenting the highest discrepancy, and only C4 is in I level (see Figure 5). These results are in line with the results exposed by [108], revealing imbalances in all SECI layers, contrary to the established Socialization layer which is the most imbalanced and combination as the least, showing in male producers (mezcaleros) (a similar sequence is registered in [108]). layer which is the most imbalanced and combination as the least, showing in male producers (mezcaleros) (a similar sequence is registered in [108]).…”

“…To identify mezcalilleras' traditional knowledge about ideas, information, and knowledge enclosed in the interaction of agave-mezcal activity in Mexico, questions based on the Socialization, Externalization, Combination, and Interiorization SECI layers of [81] we employed; in addition, technological routes, particularly considering the vision layer of [104], were designed and applied through face-to-face sessions and field visits. These were constructed following dimensions proposed by [106], adapted according to the scheme of [110], involved in non-profit organizations in Mexico, and homologated of the instrument of [108], applied in a small-scale agri-food Mexican context (see Figure 1).…”

“…The responses were summed and divided against a total (448) to statistically normalize the process and identify the balance level in the four layers [118]. These were used for the screening imbalances (gaps) as problems, failures, or barriers (needs), comparing the frequencies of the highest level of each question versus balance level, according to the studies [108,110,[119][120][121] used in the Mexican context. Regarding technological routes, equipment expectations were collected in an open question and were registered and ordered according to their frequency, following the recommendations of [109,111], applied in Mexico.…”

“…However, knowledge management methodology, particularly Nonaka's model, involving commitments, beliefs, experiences, and knowledge, combined with the flexibility and interaction in the identification of expectations of technological routes of [104], is emerging as two complementary methodologies, since one has been the basis for the development and adaptation for traditional knowledge over time [56,105], as well as being the most used and cited [106,107]. The other is applied in detecting technologies based on perspectives, and, in addition to that, both have already been used in the context of Mexico [108][109][110][111].…”

“…Originally, SECI's instrument used in this study was developed and evaluated by Contreras-Medina, D.I. in the research of [108], following the Cronbach alpha test to check reliability level and the expert's opinions for validity [129,130], applying it in the agave-mezcal context for Mezcaleros' producers, which gives validity and reliability to its application with mezcalilleras, following the recommendations of [131], about selecting an existing instrument.…”