Indigenous Knowledge Management Process of Handicrafts Community Businesses: Case of Hand-woven of Mohammadieh Neighborhood, Naein

Most of the active handicrafts businesses in local communities are community-based businesses and their knowledge are the tacit, indigenous and inherent knowledge that is not officially recorded. Most knowledge management studies have focused on organizations with a formal structure and the maintenance and management of micro businesses knowledge with an informal structure such as handicraft as an intangible cultural heritage of indigenous communities have been neglected. In the present study, the knowledge process of Kilim and Cloak hand-woven businesses was studied as a case study by the qualitative research approach. The statistical population includes weavers and local authorities. The sample size was chosen based on the saturated and snowball sampling rules. The semi-structured interviews were analyzed by the thematic analysis. Findings of the research show that the indigenous knowledge process is based on socialization, interactive learning, and active participation rather than Information Technology, in order to adapt to the changing demands of the market and preserve indigenous knowledge to the sustainable development of local communities.