Community-Based Entrepreneurship in Norway

Abstract

Until the middle of the twentieth century, a self-employed Sámi reindeer herder in Norway could subsist on 250 reindeer. These were owned individually but cared for collectively by means of flexible entrepreneurial networks. Human existence reflected the needs of herds, and rather than manage their reindeer, herders read their cues and followed the herds. Flexibility was the key to success. Non-breeding male reindeer were useful in that they helped females find food in winter. When an animal was slaughtered, care was taken to minimize pain and avoid waste; every part of a reindeer was used. Today, snowmobiles, GPS technology, helicopters and increased regulation are transforming the sector. Reindeer herders, interviewed for this article, have been adapting successfully to technological, regulatory and other changes. Yet they are concerned that, if herding is reduced to an element of the food industry, the essence and efficiency of their community-based, symbiotic entrepreneurship will be undermined. The reindeer remain a symbol for the Sámi. However, while reindeer herders are attracted or pulled towards traditional community entrepreneurship, many are forced or pushed into secondary money-driven enterprises, less close to their tradition.