Legitimacy Dynamics from Inside Palm Oil (Presentation at Academy of Management Specialised Conference on Responsible Leadership in Emerging Economies, Bled Slovenia, 23.-25.10. 2019)

Abstract

<p>Questions of the governance and legitimacy of Palm Oil agribusiness have been an area of scholarly interest for number of years, driven by concerns over environmental and social sustainability. However, that research has largely been confined to a either a governance system level of analysis or outside perspective towards firms. This study offers an inside perspective to the legitimacy dynamics facing the industry with a longitudinal ethnographic study of a palm oil plantation firm in the Republic of Liberia confronted by significant challenges to its legitimacy. Preliminary results suggest that managers are faced with complex and contradictory pathways to legitimacy that require new approaches and a readiness to engage with stakeholders at every level of the firm.</p>