Knowledge Management of Raft Business, Bueng Bun Subdistrict, Bueng Bun District, Sisaket Province

Abstract

Knowledge management is the process of consolidating dispersed knowledge among individuals and organizations, leading to the acquisition of new insights for personal and professional development. The exchange of knowledge is an important tool for organizational advancement and lies at the core of knowledge management. The present study employed a qualitative research approach with two main objectives: 1) to examine the operational aspects of raft business, and 2) to manage knowledge of raft business in Bueng Bun Subdistrict, Bueng Bun District, Sisaket Province. The sample comprised 12 raft operators using the purposive sampling method. The research employed interview forms and focus group discussions, with data analyzed through content analysis and presented descriptively. The findings revealed that 1) the operating conditions of the rafting business in Bueng Bun Subdistrict, Bueng Bun District, Sisaket Province, on activities of business operations, location, production, personnel, and service reflecting family business culture and knowledge management inherited from ancestors. This knowledge is transferred across generations through cultural traditions, values, and beliefs intrinsic to the local Thai way of life of local Thai people in Sisaket Province, 2) the knowledge management of raft business in Bueng Bun Subdistrict, Bueng Bun District, Sisaket Province is derived from ancestral practices, reflecting folk wisdom and local traditions. Over time, this knowledge has been refined and transformed into a contemporary body of knowledge adaptable to the current era. Such wisdom is preserved through memorization and shared within family and close-knit circles. The limited dissemination of this knowledge might be attributed to the small family-run business as it is passed down from one generation to the next rather than being sold to outsiders to manage. Therefore, it is crucial to identify the key knowledge for the rafting business and store it systematically as a source of information to transfer to future successors. Additionally, the current successor may not wish to carry on the business due to changing economic and social conditions, influencing the way of life of the new generation and causing them to turn their attention to pursuing alternative occupations.