Title: Factors contributing to success of Business Incubation in Fiji
Abstract
Business incubation process seems to have worldwide accepted set of norms for establishment and characteristics for delivery of its services. However, the operational attributes accompany country specific modes derived from various factors connected to level of performance and socio- cultural settings of the country. In Fiji, existence of business incubation for more than one decade shows dynamic nature of learning through “learning by doing process”; starting from a more pragmatic nature to a more focused approach. Evidence from bee honey industry, cash crops and cut flower industry are taken to investigate key factors for success cases. Interviews with a snowball sample of Business Incubation managers, incubates and market networks were conducted to identify contributing factors. The analysis falls into descriptive domain rather than interpretive domain. The results derives that dynamic entrepreneurial leadership, industrial cluster approaches, modification of resources bases, and strategic partnership development with related players in the market seems to have contributed to the success in relatively remote areas in Fiji.