Small businesses participation in community development: Drivers, hindrances and triggers to collective action Eliseo Vilalta-Perdomo, PhD Prof. Martin Hingley Lincoln Business School

Content Problem description Problem in a context OR approaches COR: a collective approach to strive for community improvement

Problem description What? Business may succeed independently but they can strive for something greater when together and they may find comfort when collaborating and coordinating their actions, but how? Business 1 Business 3 Business 2 Business N Business 4 Business 1 Business 2 Business 3 Business 4 Business N

Problem in context Where? MICRO-ENTERPRISES SUSTAINABILITY LINCOLNSHIRE, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM EUROPE

Problem in context Drivers, hindrances and triggers Several food micro-producers who… … are driven not only by an economic rationale. ‘lifestyle’, ‘enjoyment’, ‘passion’ for their product, personal satisfaction and peer recognition. individualistic business logic. … are focused on individual customers. No commercial links with big supermarkets. Farm stores and farmers’ markets.

Problem in context Drivers, hindrances and triggers Several food micro-producers who… … recognise themselves as local businesses. More than 40% of sale inside Lincolnshire. No interest on international activities. … are part of the same organisation . Select Lincolnshire. Aim: To raise the profile of Lincolnshire whether it is promoting and attracting investment into the county, signposting local produce within the County or sending the best of Lincolnshire’s food and drink across the UK.

Problem in context Drivers, hindrances and triggers Research question How to articulate Food Supply Arrangements (FSA) with potential members that do not necessarily recognise practical advantages in working with others?

OR approaches Feedback and feed-forward Option 1 Option 2 To look at other examples To adjust these experiences To implement To evaluate outcomes To improve based on previous experiences To increase current capability (variety) To innovate current practices To evaluate the innovation process FEEDBACK FEED-FORWARD

OR approaches Feedback Org. 1 Org. 2 Org. n … Model of Org. Select Lincolnshire Bus 1 Bus 2 Food supply chain? Food supply network? Outcomes Bus 3 Bus 4 Bus 5 Bus 6 Bus n

OR approaches Feedback - Food Supply Chain The strongest actor (i.e. supermarket) structures coordination protocols between different actors Customers (may) receive benefits from operational savings Supply chain characterisation Arrangement Challenge Driver Organisational principle Transactional direction Power structure Supply chain Lean/agile Economic only Organised by main actor Towards the customer Centralised around main actor

OR approaches Feedback - Food Supply Network Several strong actors (i.e. supermarkets, distributors) build redundant chains that provide additional resilience to the supply ‘system’. Customers (may) receive benefits from operational savings Supply network characterisation Arrangement Challenge Driver Organisational principle Transactional direction Power structure Supply network Resilience Economic mainly Externally self- organised Towards the customer Centralised around several hubs

OR approaches Feedback and community improvement Do feedback approaches strive for community improvement? IE criteria for improvement: “Operations research is the securing of improvement in social systems by means of scientific method” (Churchman, 1970). Sustainability criteria: “sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Brutland report, 1987)

OR approaches Feed-forward Any ideas?

OR approaches Feed-forward Supply community characterisation Arrangement Challenge Driver Organisational principle Transactional direction Power structure Supply community Collaboration Different drivers Internally self- organised Towards the producer Decentralised Do feed-forward approaches strive for community improvement? “[Community] operations research [COR] is the securing of improvement in social systems [collectives to become stronger actors] by means of scientific method” (adapted from Churchman, 1970).

COR: a collective approach to strive for community improvement – practice 1 Decision-maker Beneficiary OR professional Decision-maker Protocol Beneficiary Aims from Select Lincolnshire Optimisation Selling process Impose on individual microbusinesses

COR: a collective approach to strive for community improvement – practice 2 Decision-maker Beneficiary (?) OR professional Beneficiary Decision-maker Protocol Beneficiary Different aims Select Lincolnshire Individual microbusinesses Building consensus Impose on individual microbusinesses

COR: a collective approach to strive for community improvement – practice 3 Decision-maker OR professional Beneficiary Decision-maker Protocol Beneficiary Different aims Select Lincolnshire Individual microbusinesses Building collective capacity Adopted by individual microbusinesses

Building collective action COR: a collective approach to strive for community improvement – practice 4 Decision-maker Beneficiary Decision-maker Decision-maker Beneficiary OR professional Different aims Individual microbusinesses Decision-maker Beneficiary Decision-maker Beneficiary Decision-maker Beneficiary Protocol Beneficiary Building collective action Select Lincolnshire as a ‘stronger’ actor

COR: a collective approach to strive for community improvement Set of individuals with no-purposeful aim –e.g. leaving in the same area; going to the same place. Collective action seen as self-organised. Individual and collective actions inform each other. Research provides (descriptive) knowledge to the exterior Externally-defined boundary. Class of individuals with purposeful collective aim –e.g. sports club; village community. Community action seen as self-organising. Individual and collective actions inform each other. Research develops (experiential) knowledge from/to the interior. Internally-defined boundary. To strive for…

COR: a collective approach to strive for community improvement Final clarification: OR approach OR practitioners – i.e. Third Sector COR researchers Vehicle? Feedback OR practice: OR as a toolbox Feed-forward OR research: OR as science To identify potential approaches for development

Thanks for your attention Questions and suggestions?