Knowledge Inertia in the Innovation of Coffee Production: (A Study of Members of a Coffee Cooperative in West Sumatra, Indonesia)
Hafiz Rahman and Hanjaya Putra Siswowiyanto

Department of Management
Faculty of Economics
Universitas Andalas

Abstract

This paper aims and discusses knowledge inertia and its influence in the product innovation, with particular analysis given to the coffee production during the pre-harvest and post-harvest periods.
The study uses quantitative methodology, and operates partial regression analysis in terms of the causal analysis between variables of the study to measure the impact of knowledge intertia (with the dimensions of learning, experience and procedural inertia) in the innovation of coffee production. To put the findings in detail, the study separates the innovation of coffee product in two sequences, named [a] pre-harvest period and, [b] post-harvest period. Data and information were collected based on cross-sectional cohort data in each of the pre and post-harvest period. Samples were 125 members of one big coffee cooperative in West Sumatra, Indonesia.
It is found in the study that during the pre-harvest period, learning inertia and procedural inertia brought no significant influence to the innovation of coffee production whilst experience inertia significantly influences the innovation of coffee production during this period. In the post-harvest period, learning inertia significantly influences the innovation of coffee production. Meanwhile, procedural inertia and experience inertia have no significant influence to the innovation of coffee product during the post-harvest period of coffee production.
The originality and value of this study lie to its design and findings which focuses on the dimension of knowlede inertia in detail, in which a specific product with the sequence of its production was used as the consideration. Contextually, it used members of a cooperative of coffee product which becomes a unique sample of the research .

Keywords: knowledge inertia, innovation, pre- and post-havest periods. cooperative

Topic: Strategic Management, Entrepreneurship and Contemporary Issues