Cabaran penarafan perusahaan sosial dalam kalangan koperasi di Malaysia: Satu kajian kualitatif (Challenges in social enterprise accreditation among cooperatives in Malaysia: A qualitative study)

Suraiya Ishak, Ahmad Raflis Che Omar, Zurinah Tahir

Abstract


Selaras dengan usaha mengukuhkan pengiktirafan perusahaan sosial, penarafan khusus telah diberikan kepada entiti yang memenuhi kriteria sebagai perusahaan sosial (SE). Koperasi adalah entiti yang ditubuhkan bagi mencapai objektif sosioekonomi bersama melalui penggembelingan sumber dan usaha kolektif serta penjanaan pendapatan melalui aktiviti berorientasi perniagaan. Justeru, koperasi dijangka berpotensi besar memperolehi penarafan SE disebabkan sifat semula jadi yang berorientasikan kebajikan sosioekonomi anggotanya.  Makalah ini bertujuan meneroka cabaran yang membataskan perolehan penarafan samada sebagai Perusahaan Sosial Asas (SE.Basic) atau Perusahaan Sosial Diakreditasi (SE.AC) dalam kalangan koperasi di Malaysia. Kajian ini merupakan kajian kes menggunakan reka bentuk pendekatan kualitatif temubual berstruktur melibatkan kumpulan informan terdiri daripada wakil Suruhanjaya Koperasi Malaysia (SKM), Kementerian Pembangunan Usahawan dan Koperasi (KUSKOP) dan Ahli Lembaga Koperasi (ALK) daripada dua buah koperasi yang memiliki penarafan SE. Informan seramai enam (6) orang telah dipilih menggunakan teknik persampelan bertujuan berasaskan kapasiti sebagai pentadbir yang terlibat langsung dan tidak langsung dalam aktiviti koperasi dan penarafan SE. Data temubual telah dianalisis menggunakan analisis tematik. Hasil kajian menemui lima kategori cabaran penarafan koperasi sebagai SE terdiri daripada kategori cabaran fundamental, kepimpinan koperasi, teknikaliti permohonan, model piawai penarafan dan kebolehan pengurusan. Seterusnya 11 tema cabaran spesifik telah dikenal pasti di bawah setiap kategori cabaran. Implikasi penemuan ini memberi input kepada usaha memahami kedudukan koperasi dalam kerangka konsep perusahaan sosial dan mendorong kriteria penarafan yang mengambil kira ciri spesifik koperasi. Kajian ini dapat menyumbang kepada pembangunan ekosistem perusahaan sosial di Malaysia dalam konteks menambah baik sistem penarafan yang mengambil kira identiti koperasi berasaskan perspektif Teori Identiti Organisasi.

 

Kata kunci: Keusahawanan sosial, koperasi, pengurusan, penarafan, perusahaan sosial, piawai penarafan

 

In line with efforts to strengthen the recognition of social enterprises, a specific accreditation system has been introduced for entities that fulfil the criteria of a social enterprise (SE). Cooperatives are entities established to achieve shared socio-economic objectives through the mobilisation of collective resources and efforts, while generating income through business-oriented activities. Therefore, cooperatives are considered to have strong potential to obtain SE recognition due to their inherent socio-economic welfare orientation towards members. This paper aims to explore the challenges limiting the attainment of either Basic Social Enterprise (SE.Basic) or Accredited Social Enterprise (SE.AC) status among cooperatives in Malaysia. This study adopts a qualitative case study approach using structured interviews involving informants from the Malaysian Cooperative Commission (SKM), the Ministry of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development (KUSKOP), and Board Members of two cooperatives with SE recognition. A total of six informants were selected through purposive sampling based on their administrative roles and direct or indirect involvement in cooperative activities and SE accreditation. Interview data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings identified five categories of challenges affecting SE accreditation among cooperatives, namely fundamental challenges, cooperative leadership, application technicalities, standard accreditation models, and management capability. Additionally, 11 specific challenge themes were identified across these categories. The findings provide insights into understanding the position of cooperatives within the social enterprise framework and support the development of accreditation criteria that consider the unique characteristics of cooperatives from the perspective of Organisational Identity Theory.

 

Keywords: Social entrepreneurship, cooperative, management, accreditation, social enterprise, accreditation standard


Keywords


Keusahawanan sosial, koperasi, pengurusan, penarafan, perusahaan sosial, piawai penarafan (Social entrepreneurship, cooperative, management, accreditation, social enterprise, accreditation standard)

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