Questions of the governance and legitimacy of Palm Oil agribusiness have
been an area of scholarly interest for number of years, driven by
concerns over environmental and social sustainability. However, that
research has largely been confined to a either a governance system level
of analysis or outside perspective towards firms. This study offers
an inside perspective to the legitimacy dynamics facing the industry
with a longitudinal ethnographic study of a palm oil plantation firm in
the Republic of Liberia confronted by significant challenges to its
legitimacy. Preliminary results suggest that managers are faced with
complex and contradictory pathways to legitimacy that require new
approaches and a readiness to engage with stakeholders at every level of
the firm.