Divide and conquer (funding shortfalls) - A Sabahan social enterprise

Melissa Alut Lim; Aaron Tham

doi:10.1108/JSIBR-05-2025-0054

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Divide and conquer (funding shortfalls) - A Sabahan social enterprise

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Divide and conquer (funding shortfalls) - A Sabahan social enterprise

Melissa Alut Lim and Aaron Tham

Journal of Social Impact in Business Research, Vol.2(4), pp.27-36

2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JSIBR-05-2025-0054

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Abstract

Tourism

Tourism services

Social entrepreneurship

Indigenous stakeholders

Borneo

East Malaysia

Tourism

Purpose The purpose of this research is to examine how a social enterprise in a Global South region addresses funding shortfalls amidst government election cycles to ensure business continuity. Design/methodology/approach This research is conducted using a case study of Rustic Borneo Craft, a social enterprise located in Sabah, East Malaysia. Findings This research resonates with the propositions of Jorgensen et al.’s (2021) collective tourism social entrepreneurship. However, other local identities act as indicative antecedents to why the social enterprise could flourish despite insurmountable odds. Originality/value This paper fills gaps by elucidating further insights into how social enterprises in lesser-known regions approach funding and governmental election cycles in planning for financial sustainability.

Details

Title: Divide and conquer (funding shortfalls) - A Sabahan social enterprise
Authors: Melissa Alut Lim
Aaron Tham (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Business and Creative Industries
Publication details: Journal of Social Impact in Business Research, Vol.2(4), pp.27-36
Publisher: Emerald Publishing Limited
Date published: 2026
DOI: 10.1108/JSIBR-05-2025-0054
ISSN: 3049-4877
Copyright note: © 2025 Melissa Alut Lim and Aaron Tham. Published by Emerald Publishing Limited. This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this licence may be seen at Link to the terms of the CC BY 4.0 licenceLink to the terms of the CC BY 4.0 licence.
Organisation Unit: School of Business and Creative Industries; Indigenous and Transcultural Research Centre
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991188445602621
Output Type: Journal article

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