Carry mi ackee go a Jamaican market: Ackee as a metaphor for the organization and environment of Jamaican business

Carry mi ackee go a Jamaican market Ackee as a metaphor for the organization and environment of Jamaican business

Jamaica’s national fruit, the ackee, in its various stages of development and use, serves as the metaphor to reveal key elements of this island nation’s national culture and, by extension, its business and organizational environment. Four stages of the ackee are employed: (1) the TREE, which, in its...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of cross cultural management : CCM Vol. 12; no. 3; pp. 277 - 297
Main Authors: Phillips, Margaret E, Scott, Andrea D, Sutherland, Claire E, Gerla, Marisa P, Gilzene, Annette M
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01-12-2012
SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
Subjects:
Cultural identity
Culture
Environment
Ethnicity
Fruits
Jamaica
Multiculturalism & pluralism
National culture
Organization
Organizational behavior
Social theory
Studies
Jamaica
national culture
cultural metaphor
ackee
Jamaican business culture
Caribbean business
cultural identity
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Summary:Jamaica’s national fruit, the ackee, in its various stages of development and use, serves as the metaphor to reveal key elements of this island nation’s national culture and, by extension, its business and organizational environment. Four stages of the ackee are employed: (1) the TREE, which, in its seeding and growth, exhibits an intrinsic resilience reflected in the country’s ability to overcome adverse environmental conditions; (2) the CLOSED FRUIT, which is poisonous, but, like this developing nation, has a transitional toxicity; (3) the OPEN/RIPE FRUIT, exhibiting its multifaceted diversity by being externally colorful, functionally resourceful, and dependently cooperative, representative of Jamaica’s ethnic diversity, its industriousness and ingenuity, and its affinity for foreign counterpoints, respectively; and, (4) the COOKED FRUIT, which, in the experience of the traditional communal ackee and saltfish breakfast, fosters a ritualistic identity that promotes social cohesion, engenders pride, and reinforces shared identification as Jamaicans.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-2
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-1
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ISSN:1470-5958
1741-2838
DOI:10.1177/1470595812440155