Abstract
Mutualism is an ecological concept. Mutualistic relationships are mutually beneficial. However, as found in development geography studies, relationships between different peoples in different parts of the world are often not mutually beneficial. For example, there is lack of mutualism in international production that is dominated by companies that dictate where production is and is not carried out. This lack of mutualism leaves many other countries with little production capacity and persistent widespread unemployment. Thus, international production is not characterized by mutualistic social sustainability. International production has long been framed as being an ecological phenomenon that requires ecological analyses. However, previous social sustainability studies concerned with production have not provided ecological analyses of social sustainability. Rather, previous studies have focused on social theory and related operational practices. By contrast, in this paper, findings are reported from action research concerned with facilitating mutual prosperity growth between a Northern-European country, Finland, and an African fragile state, Somalia. The action research encompassed business development processes and moveable production technologies for mutual prosperity growth between the two countries. Ecological analyses, which were carried out during the action research, are provided of current international production and alternative production with moveable production technologies.
Highlights
Relationships between different peoples in different parts of the world are often not mutually beneficial [1,2,3]
The objectives of the action research were to bring about two interrelated changes. They are (i) to introduce business interaction procedures that are accessible to both Finnish companies and Somali companies, which (ii) lead to increased mutualistic business interactions between the two countries that can generate employment in both countries and increase the provision of essential goods in Somalia
The objectives of the action research were directed to addressing harms in current international production, which is dominated by world-class manufacturers that decide where and where not production will be carried out
Summary
Relationships between different peoples in different parts of the world are often not mutually beneficial [1,2,3]. Different production processes, such as materials extraction and product assembly, take place in different countries. Production is reducing in many countries as dominant production companies determine where production processes will be carried out and where production processes will not be carried out [4,5]. This includes countries such as Finland, which can lose long-established production capabilities, and countries such as Somalia that can be hindered in development of their own production capabilities
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