Social enterprise is a valuable way to provide opportunities for disadvantaged populations in small island developing states. The United Nations recognizes remote small islands as having specific economic, social, and environmental vulnerabilities, and they are highly disadvantaged in their development. In the Pacific, small developing nations are collections of scattered, remote islands with small populations and few resources. However, the institutional landscapes of small Pacific island countries are different from countries where social enterprise (SEprise) theories emerged, and they even differ from other small island developing states in Africa and the Caribbean. Along with globalization, the political, legal, economic, and social systems of small Pacific island countries have been shaped by the legacy of colonial administrations and Christian values, which were introduced into these nations during the 19th century. There is little understanding of SEprise practice in the Pacific region, however the practice is well established, and small Pacific island countries indeed offer a novel site to advance theoretical and practical understanding of SEprise.
This paper considers SEprises operating in Fiji, a small nation located between the Melanesian and Polynesian cultural regions of the Pacific. The social, political and economic institutions of this island nation have evolved from traditional ways, but the indigenous culture remains evident as a set of communal practices. These practices continue to influence the behavior of Fijian people in how they relate to, and affect others. Combining indigenous beliefs and values, with external institutional frameworks and values introduced via colonialism and globalization results in a complex, hybrid institutional reality of Fijian SEprise. Communities are expected to organize their actions within their institutional reality if they are to be considered legitimate and culturally appropriate. Thus, the institutional reality of Fiji influences how SEprises operate as hybrid organizations, and how they plan, organize, control, and lead initiatives in this resource constrained environment.
SEprises in Fiji operate as cooperatives, community-based non-profit enterprises, or partnership networks of people with the same gender, age group, or occupation, or owned by indigenous villages or clans. Cooperatives are a distinctive feature of the Fijian economy, and community microfinance initiatives have also emerged in Fiji focusing on the empowerment of women, young people, and low-income families. These initiatives foster market participation and the adoption of technologies and commercial innovations to address social, economic and environmental problems. Yet how these initiatives operate effectively within cultural boundaries is not yet understood. In this paper, we examine the important Fijian institutions and consider how these influence SEprise.
9. Social and solidarity economy, civil society and social movements
Final_EMES_Conference_Paper.pdf 