KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT IN THE GHANAIAN COCOA INDUSTRY

How Collaboration technologies can Enhance Knowledge Management processes

By Albert Gyamfi (PhD Candidate-AAU-CPH) alberto@plan.aau.dk

Some Snaphots of cocoa

Some Cocoa Products

Snapshots of knowledge transfer tools

Farmers are mostly after technology and information, not credit. Barney Laseko, PADEP, Tanzania

SMS technology for Ghanas cocoa farmers

CocoaLink provides text messages to farmers with access to mobile phones.

THANK YOU

SUMMARY(1)
The Ghanaian cocoa farmer needs knowledge about:
New agricultural technologies; Diagnostic information about plant and animal disease and soil related problems; Weather and climatic conditions, Market information on inputs and sales (prices, seller, buyers, retailers); Market demand and quality of products required for these markets; Access to funds, and government policies The lack of creation and sharing of knowledge is more critical in agriculture than in other areas of human endeavor (Baah, 2009; ISNAR, 1991).

SUMMARY(2)
The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) is responsible for the development and production of cocoa.
COCOBOD has five divisions
Cocoa Marketing Company, Quality Control Division, Cocoa Swollen Shoot and Virus Disease Control Unit, Seed production Unit, and Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana

The creation and sharing of knowledge and information in an interactive manner among knowledge creators and users is increasingly being regarded as a challenge in the Ghanaian Cocoa industry.

The research will primarily focus on Factors that lead to efficient knowledge management processes with collaboration technologies in Ghanaian cocoa industry

MOTIVATION(1)
Despite continuous efforts of research, extension and
development programs to promote the generation and use of new knowledge, most Cocoa farmers in Ghana depend on sub-subsistence farming systems:
insufficient use of knowledge and technology low productivity

An often considered reason for this dilemma is obstacles in the communication and management of knowledge

MOTIVATION(2)
Most knowledge management research have been done in the corporate sector. Therefore underlying motivations for technological solutions of such programs relate to ideas and strategies of the body corporate.
The cocoa industry would thus be well-served by introducing processes and technologies that aim to nurture open access to extensive tacit knowledge of farmers to enable learning and knowledge flow, thereby linking newer generations with their ancestors

Research Question
The main research question:
How can collaboration technologies enhance knowledge management processes in the cocoa industry of Ghaha?

Conceptual Framework(1)
Knowledge is the awareness of what one knows through study, reasoning, experience, or association, or through various other types of learning (Mclnerney, 2002). Knowledge may be viewed from several perspectives:
State of mind, an object, a process, a capability a condition of having access to information,

Conceptual Framework (2)

Conceptual Framework (3)

The tacit-explicit classification by Polanyi (1962, 1967) and Nonaka(1994) is most widely cited. Tacit knowledge is what the knower knows, which is derived from experience and embodies beliefs and values (Marwick, 2001). Tacit knowledge is linked to personal perspectives, intuition, emotions, beliefs, know-how, experiences and values. Explicit knowledge is any form of information, expertise, or experience that can be articulated in detail, codified, rendered persistent, and shared. form of database, document, drawing, formula, patent, video, or presentation.

Conceptual Framework (4)

The concerted efforts and practices used by organizations and individuals to identify, create, accumulate, re-use, apply and distribute knowledge are commonly labeled knowledge management. Knowledge management is concerned with ways of exchanging knowledge among those who can create it and those who can use it (Hartwich et al., 2007)

Conceptual Framework(5)
Organizations as knowledge systems consist of a collection of knowledge processes: creation/construction, storage/retrieval, transfer/distribution and application

Conceptual Framework (6)

Knowledge creation/construction: This is the process through which new material is added or replaced within the collective stock of knowledge Knowledge Storage is known as organizational memory. Two forms of memory are individual and organizational and two types of organizational memory are episodic (generic) and semantic (specific) memories.

Conceptual Framework (7)

Knowledge is transfered through channels. Channels may be
formal (e.g. training sessions ) or informal (e.g. coffee break conversations) and Personal (e.g. apprenticeship) or Impersonal (e.g. knowledge repositories)

The source of competitive advantage does not reside in knowledge itself, but rather in its application.
directives, organizational routines, and self-contained task teams

Conceptual Framework (8)

Conceptual Framework (9)

Conceptual Framework (10)

Conceptual Framework (11)

Research Questions
The main research questions are: I. What role can information technologies play in knowwledge management processes in Ghanaian cocoa industry? II. How can collaboration technologies enhance knowledge management processes in the cocoa industry? To help answer this question, the following sub-questions will be considered: a. How can the application of collaboration technologies increase the breadth and depth of knowledge creation, storage, transfer and application in the cocoa industry? b. What conditions can facilitate knowledge creation, transfer and application in the industry? c. What are the main knowledge issues that need to be better managed in the cocoa industry of Ghaha?

Expected Outcome
Analysis of Knowledge Management issues in the Cocoa Industry Factors to consider before introducing internet technologies into the industry Efficient means of managing knowledge and information in the industry

Identification of knowledge management challenges facing the cocoa industry.