Aboriginal enterprise: implications for government and industry Louise Moylan PhD student University...

Aboriginal enterprise:implications for government and industry

Louise Moylan

PhD student

University of Adelaide

Roseworthy Campus


• Supervisors: Prof Tricia Vilkinas, University of SA, Dr Ian Nuberg, University of Adelaide, and Dr Jocelyn Davies, CSIRO Alice Springs

• Research sponsors: University of Adelaide, Desert Knowledge Cooperative Research Centre Alice Springs (DKCRC), Primary Industries and Resources South Australia (PIRSA), South Australian Chamber of Mines and Energy (SACOME) and member companies, and the South Australian Attorney General’s Department (SAAGD)

How do we see Aboriginal enterprise?

• Different to other small businesses• Culture and family all mixed up• Complex• Confusing• Disorganised• Unsuccessful• Need large business management training

Government and industry often see Aboriginal enterprise as:

How do we see Aboriginal enterprise?

• Self-sufficiency and independence from government• Pride • Strong culture• Future for children and grandchildren• Strengthen family and community• Social connections• Success

Aboriginal enterprise owners and/or managers say that small business is about:

The research

These different ideas framed the research

• Objective: to help people understand Aboriginal enterprise in remote and regional areas

by:

• Aim: identifying the forms of Aboriginal enterprise

However, the problem remains that:

• Small businesses are difficult to define, whether Aboriginal or mainstream

• Within academic literature, a definition is unresolved, worldwide

Strzelecki Track, northern SA

(photo removed)

Research designover 3 parts

A. Identify forms

B. Relate to international small business literature

C. Develop theory

Research design (continued)

• 47 interviews:

Aboriginal enterprise owners and/or managers

• 40 interviews:

government, industry and small business people

• Qualitative research:

Led by grounded theory

What I address here

• Implications of results

– Forms of Aboriginal enterprise

– Underlying characteristics

• Theoretical work discussed elsewhere

Store on the AP Lands, SA

(photo removed)

Overview of major resultsbig picture

1. Similarities across small business

2. Vast differences to large business

3. Redefine small business

Five major results follow

Overview of results

• Individually unique, but can be categorised

• Subsidised operating funds

– Social and commercial forms

• Other forms exist

– E.G. subsidised operating funds, size, location, cultural identity, commercial values or sales per year

(1) Unique identities

Commercial

02

468

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Social

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10121416182022242628

Strong social viewpoint

Strong commercial viewpoint

Commercial

02

468

101214

1618

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Commercial

02

468

101214

1618

6.05.04.03.02.01.0

Social

02468

10121416182022242628Social

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10121416182022242628

Strong social viewpoint

Strong commercial viewpoint

Graph showing 47 unique enterprises

What does this mean?

• Case-by-case basis

• Enterprise forms can change depending on time, location, focus of people, funds etc

(1) Unique identities

• Forms are different for different people at different times

• Means: variability is normal

Overview of results

• Five major building blocks

• Highly interdependent

• Shared and separate qualities

• Building blocks central

(2) Building blocks

Decision -making

FamilyCommunity

Commercial Considerations

Culture

MGAP*Decision -

making

FamilyCommunity

Commercial Considerations

Culture

MGAP*

*MGAP: Motivations, goals, aims and priorities

Five building blocks operated together


• More than commercial

• Commercial are one of five important building blocks

• Interdependency comes with good and bad influences

(2) Building blocks

• Design solutions across all building blocks, by themes:

– Core

– Expressive

– Resultant

Overview of results

• External influences not separate

• Deeply impact in unique ways

(3) External influences

Government

Mainstream laws and culture

Mainstream society

Bureaucracy

Mainstream business

Environment

enterprise

Aboriginal

External influences surrounded each enterprise


• Recognise our impact

• Influence is greater in remote and regional areas

• Small business is a microcosm

(3) External influences

• Small changes

– Acutely impacts individuals, families and communities

– Impacts Aboriginal enterprise and small business

Overview of results

• Fit holistically together as a system

• Called ‘whole process’ of Aboriginal enterprise

(4) Whole process of enterprise

Identity?Family

Community

MGAP

Culture

Decision-making

-

CommercialConsiderations

Influences on the Aboriginal enterprise: • Government• Education• Bureaucracy• Health• Mainstream business

• Leadership• Mainstream society• Employment• Mainstream laws and culture• Environment

Identity?Family

Community

MGAP

Culture

Decision-making

-


Influences on the Aboriginal enterprise:

Identity?Family

Community

MGAP

Culture

Decision-making

-




Building blocks and external influences fitted together


(4) Whole process of enterprise

• See the Aboriginal enterprise in small ways that link to external influences through the building blocks

• Keep all parts together and inter-related, avoid separation

Overview of results

• External influences and building blocks drawn inwards to frame identity

• Called ‘unique accretion’

• Multiple differences exist

(5) Unique accretion

Identity?Family

Community

MGAP

Culture

Decision-making

-




Identity?Family

Community

MGAP

Culture

Decision-making

-


Influences on the Aboriginal enterprise:

Identity?Family

Community

MGAP

Culture

Decision-making

-




Whole process was unique for each enterprise


• ‘Drawing in’ or ‘unique accretion’ is fundamental

• This links parts together, so:

– work across departments, organisations, companies, policies and programmes

(5) Unique accretion

• Obtain a ‘social picture’

• From the ‘grass roots’ up

• Meet family needs first

• Case-by-case basis

through culture and across support services

Across the 5 results, it means this:

• Support differences

• Accept variability

• Recognise we cannot impose enterprise form

This strengthens culture and families: the basis of

communities and bedrock of small business Mound spring, NE SA

(photo removed)

Implications for government and industry:

• Tailor help locally

• Unique accretion is a personal small business activity, that is crucial

• View small business as a whole process

These are mis-understood by government

Tourism enterprise, northern SA

(photo removed)


• Not about government procedures

• Not small ‘big businesses’

• Widen the perspective of mainstream small business

• Reconsider current small business structures

Dog fence, Lake Frome, SA

(continued)

(photo removed)


• Small business support can operate side-by-side

• Universal and blanket polices are poor options

• City solutions in remote and regional areas are poor options too

• Rely on local solutions

– start with culture and familyAboriginal enterprise owner, northern SA

(continued)

(photo removed)

Conclusions

• Social enterprises are not commercially viable, whilst commercial enterprises mostly are,

– Both are highly culturally viable and offer immeasurable benefits

– Current enterprise structures do not support this

• Aboriginal enterprise and small business is diverse, personal and connected to everything else

– Current small business policies do not support this

Conclusions (continued)

• Similarities across all small businesses

– Build on these

– Link together across cultures, industries, departments and community groups

– Current support measures rarely do this

• Culture, family and community are the small business linkage points

– Use these as the basis to support small businesses

– Current support mostly focus on commercial and marginalise the rest


Local people want local solutions to bring their community and small businesses together


Thank you

Aboriginal enterprise: implications for government and industry Louise Moylan PhD student University...

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