Abstract

This study examined how coffee knowledge develops and spreads among managers of Indonesian single-origin coffee shops (SOCSs), the developed social network. Data from the survey involving thirty owners of SOCSs confirmed that a friend network and books became the primary source of all kinds of knowledge among the coffee shop’s owners. These coffee shop owners preferred interpersonal connections with friends or training to use the internet or social media. Our findings confirmed that managers of SOCSs preferred sources they thought they knew well and were credible, especially during the internalization stage of knowledge development. Social media were used at the initial stage of knowledge development, namely during the development of tacit knowledge and externalization. The managers of SOCSs did not consider social media as a source of knowledge during the knowledge combination and internalization. Our findings also showed that the process of developing and transferring knowledge among SOCSs’ managers and owners relied more on intrapersonal interaction as sources of information than the internet or social media, as many theories stated. From the practical perspective of the management, it is recommended to create sharing media that allows shop managers to share knowledge interpersonally to build and accelerate knowledge sharing among them.