  We investigate weak amenability of the Banach algebra A(X) of approximable
operators on a Banach space X and its relation to factorization properties of
operators in A(X). We show that if A(X) is weakly amenable, then either A(X) is
self-induced (a nice factorization property), or X is very special, combining
some of the exotic properties of the spaces of Gowers and Maurey and of Pisier.
In the class of self-induced Banach algebras we show that weak amenability is
preserved under an equivalence of Morita type. Using this we extend some
results of A. Blanco about weak amenability of A(X).
