Knowledge Management in Creative Tourism: A Case Study of The Amphawa Community in Samut Songkhram Province

Abstract

The objectives of this qualitative study were to explore knowledge management processes and practices in creative tourism, and to analyze the potential for knowledge management in creative tourism of the Amphawa community, Samut Songkhram Province which is one of the communities in Thailand’s central plain livelihood cluster. The research process was divided into three phases: 1) Documentary research, 2) Focus group discussion, and 3) Descriptive analysis. The researchers employed the SECI knowledge spiral model developed by Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) to provide a basis for data collection and data analysis. According to the focus group discussion among 6 participants including local public officials, community leaders, and entrepreneurs. It was found that the Amphawa community has varied bodies of knowledge including architecture, customs and traditions, local way of life, and career wisdom. The community’s knowledge management processes involve regulations, knowledge collection at the Amphawa-Chaipattananurak Conservation Project, informal discussions between community members, and knowledge documentation in research reports. These indicated that the Amphawa community’s knowledge management processes are based on the SECI model which consists of socialization, externalization, combination, and internalization. Moreover, Amphawa community has been able to effectively utilize the knowledge management process for developing creative tourism. Nevertheless, relevant agencies need to encourage community members to apply knowledge management practices to other issues in order to preserve the community’s local wisdom, thus leading to community strength and sustainability.