Identiti koperasi pekebun kecil sawit di Malaysia: Satu deskripsi awal (The identity of palm oil smallholders’ cooperative in Malaysia: A preliminary descriptive)

Abstract

Koperasi adalah entiti yang ditubuhkan bagi mencapai matlamat ahli yang homogenous sifatnya.  Secara umumnya, koperasi bertujuan menjaga kebajikan ahli-ahlinya. Namun selari dengan perkembangan semasa entiti koperasi turut berhadapan suasana baharu yang berpotensi memberi kesan kepada identitinya.  Selain daripada itu, faktor kontekstual juga berpotensi mewujudkan pola tertentu dalam pengoperasian konsep koperasi. Makalah ini bertujuan mendeskripsi ciri-ciri identiti koperasi pekebun kecil kelapa sawit di Malaysia. Kajian ini telah menggunakan teknik temubual dengan enam buah koperasi di negeri Selangor, Perak dan Johor. Data temubual telah dianalisa dengan kaedah tematik bagi mengenalpasti ciri-ciri identiti koperasi. Penemuan kajian menunjukkan koperasi pekebun kecil kelapa sawit dianggotai oleh pekebun atau peneroka dan generasi kedua dari kalangan mereka. Koperasi mempunyai struktur Ahli Lembaga Koperasi yang dipilih daripada ahli-ahli koperasi dan memiliki autonomi dalam membuat keputusan tanpa campur tangan pihak luar. Perkhidmatan yang ditawarkan adalah cenderung ke arah portfolio perniagaan yang “selamat” dan “rendah risiko”. Walau bagaimanapun, koperasi pekebun kecil sawit terlibat menunjukkan pola pengembangan portfolio perniagaan yang tidak lagi tertumpu kepada pelaburan atau aktiviti-aktiviti pasif. Koperasi pekebun kecil kelapa sawit cenderung untuk terlibat dalam aktiviti penjanaan hasil yang lebih berdaya maju. Namun begitu secara keseluruhan, orientasi keusahawanan koperasi menunjukkan trend yang konsisten dengan corak penawaran perkhidmatan yang masih bersifat konservatif dan berhati-hati.

Kata kunci: Koperasi, tadbir urus koperasi, orientasi keusahawanan, tingkah laku organisasi pengurusan, pekebun kecil sawit

Cooperatives are entities that established to achieve the goals of homogeneous members. Generally, a cooperative aim to protect the well-being of its members. But in line with the current development, a cooperative entity is also facing a new environment that could potentially affect its identity. In addition, contextual factors have the potential to create certain patterns in operationalizing cooperative concepts. This paper aims at describing the identity characteristics of oil palm smallholder cooperatives in Malaysia. This study employed interview techniques with six cooperatives in the states of Selangor, Perak and Johor. The findings of this study show that oil palm cooperatives belong to both farmers and settlers and also their second generations. The cooperative has the structure of a Cooperative Board Member selected from the members of the cooperative and has the autonomy in decision-making without external intervention. The services offered are likely to be towards a "safe" and "low risk" business portfolio. However, the cooperative of smallholders shown a pattern of expanding business portfolios that is no longer focused on investment or passive activities. The oil palm smallholders' cooperatives are increasingly becoming more involved in more productive yields. However, the overall entrepreneurial orientation reflects a consistent trend that offer services with conservative and cautious pattern.

Keywords: Cooperative, cooperative governance, entrepreneruial orientation, organziational behavior, management, oil palm small holders.