This paper aims to investigate how mutual knowledge emerges in heterogeneous triadic interactions in the Rwandan handicraft sector, where indigenous and business knowledge intersect. The concept of mutual knowledge is introduced to capture transformation rather than transfer in interorganizational settings.
An abductive, qualitative case-study approach is applied to three handicraft triads, pottery, basketry and woodcraft. Data was collected through interviews, observations and documents. Analysis was guided by a framework identifying four mechanisms, mediation, governance, hybridity and enactment, operating across artisanship, business practices and sociocultural contexts.
The study shows that mutual knowledge develops through mechanisms that mediate, govern, hybridize and enact knowledge in triadic constellations. These processes illustrate how tacit and explicit, indigenous and business knowledge forms are not merely exchanged but transformed. The findings underscore the crucial role of intermediaries in facilitating mutual knowledge.
The analysis is limited to three Rwandan cases, constraining generalizability. Future research could apply comparative or longitudinal designs. Conceptually, the study enriches industrial marketing and purchasing (IMP) theory by integrating knowledge, interaction and triadic perspectives, while also engaging with practice-based, institutional and postcolonial literatures.
For artisans, the study identifies strategies to balance cultural legitimacy with market requirements. For NGOs and intermediaries, it highlights the importance of governance and mediation. For policymakers, it demonstrates the value of treating indigenous knowledge as a resource for sustainable development.
This paper advances IMP research by conceptualizing mutual knowledge as transformation enacted in triadic settings. It extends international debates by connecting knowledge and practice literature with postcolonial and development perspectives.
