War and other violent conflicts greatly degrade a country’s economic, social, and marketing systems. In the aftermath of conflict, national and international organizations develop different strategies, such as business development, aimed at the reconstruction of these systems. This article draws on boundary theory to frame the way in which entrepreneurship can help ex-militants to discard war-activities and to reintegrate peacefully and productively into a peace-time economy. An interpretive study examining the life-narratives of former militants of illegal groups involved in Colombia’s armed conflict – the world’s longest, lasting 52 years – regarding their business start-ups was designed and administered. Findings extend current Macromarketing and Entrepreneurship literature by showing how policies and entrepreneurial business practices in recovering marketing systems can help ex-militants to overcome discrimination, to transform their identities and to reintegrate peacefully into civil society, which in turn may portend a more inclusive and equitable marketing system and robust national economy.
AbdelnourSamerBranzeiOana (2010), “Fuel-Efficient Stoves for Darfur: The Social Construction of Subsistence Marketplaces in Post-Conflict Settings,” Journal of Business Research, 63 (6), 617–29.
AcsZoltan (2006), “How Is Entrepreneurship Good for Economic Growth?” Innovations: Technology, Governance, Globalization, 1 (1), 97–107.
7.
AkkermanSanne F.BakkerArthur (2011), “Boundary Crossing and Boundary Objects,” Review of Educational Research, 81 (2), 132–69.
8.
AldersonWroeCaryStephenEdgertonWilliamMooreHughPickettClarenceZelliotEleanor (1956), Meeting the Russians, American Quakers Visit the Soviet Union, a Report Prepared by the Delegation. Philadelphia, PA: Society of Friends.
9.
ArıkanAndaç (2010), “Regional Entrepreneurial Transformation: A Complex Systems Perspective,” Journal of Small Business Management, 48 (2), 152–73.
10.
BakerTedNelsonReed (2005), “Creating Something from Nothing: Resource Construction Through Entrepreneurial Bricolage,” Administrative Science Quarterly, 50 (3), 329–66.
11.
BallentineKarenNitzschkeHeiko (2003), Beyond Greed and Grievance: Policy Lessons from Studies in the Political Economy of Armed Conflict. London, UK: Routledge.
12.
BarrettMichaelObornEivor (2010), “Boundary Object Use in Cross-Cultural Software Development Teams,” Human Relations, 63 (8), 1199–221.
13.
BarriosAndrésBlockerChristopher P. (2015), “The Contextual Value of Social Capital for Subsistence Entrepreneur Mobility,” Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 34 (2), 272–86.
14.
BarriosAndrésValckKristine deShultzCliffordSibaiOlivierHusemannKatharina C.Maxwell-SmithMatthewLuedickeMarius K. (2016), “Marketing as a Means to Transformative Social Conflict Resolution: Lessons from Transitioning War Economies and the Colombian Coffee Marketing System,” Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 35 (2), 185–97.
15.
BarriosAndrésPiacentiniMaria G.SalciuvieneLaura. “‘Your life when you’ve got everything is different’: forced transformations and consumption practices.” In Research in Consumer Behavior, pp. 129–149. Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2012.
BranzeiOanaAbdelnourSamer (2010), “Another Day, Another Dollar: Enterprise Resilience under Terrorism in Developing Countries,” Journal of International Business Studies, 41 (5), 804–25.
18.
BrushCandidaAliAbdulKelleyDonnaGreenePatricia (2017), “The Influence of Human Capital Factors and Context on Women’s Entrepreneurship: Which Matters More?” Journal of Business Venturing Insights, 8 (C), 105–13.
19.
ChandraYanto (2017), “Social Entrepreneurship as Emancipatory Work,” Journal of Business Venturing, 32 (6), 657–73.
20.
ChrismanJames J.EdMcMullanHallJeremy (2005), “The Influence of Guided Preparation on the Long-Term Performance of New Ventures,” Journal of Business Venturing, 20 (6), 769–91.
21.
CollierPaul (1994), “Demobilization and Insecurity: A Study in the Economics of the Transition from War to Peace,” Journal of International Development, 6 (3), 343–351.
CovinJeffreySlevinDennis (1989), “Strategic Management of Small Firms in Hostile and Benign Environments,” Strategic Management Journal, 10 (1), 75–87.
DeDreuCarstenK. W.van KnippenbergDaan (2005), “The Possessive Self as a Barrier to Conflict Resolution: Effects of Mere Ownership, Process Accountability, and Self-Concept Clarity on Competitive Cognitions and Behavior,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 89 (3), 345–57.
26.
De RiveraJosephPáezDarío (2007), “Emotional Climate, Human Security, and Cultures of Peace,” Journal of Social Issues, 63 (2), 233–53.
27.
DesaiSameeksha (2016), “Destructive Entrepreneurship and the Security Context: Program Design Considerations for Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) and Counterinsurgency,” Journal of Entrepreneurship and Public Policy, 5 (2), 240–50.
28.
DiamondLouiseMcDonaldJohn W. (1996), Multi-Track Diplomacy: A Systems Approach to Peace. West Hartford, CT: Kumarian Press.
29.
DiehlManfredHayElizabeth L. (2007), “Contextualized Self-Representations in Adulthood,” Journal of Personality, 75 (6), 1255–84.
30.
DuffieldMark (2000), “Globalization, Transborder Trade, and War Economies,” in Greed and Grievance: Economic Agendas in Civil Wars, BerdalMats R.BerdalMatsMaloneDavid, eds. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 69–89.
31.
DurkheimEmile (1965), The Elementary Forms of Religious Life. New York, NY: Free Press.
32.
EdgellPennyGerteisJosephHartmannDouglas (2006), “Atheists as “Other”: Moral Boundaries and Cultural Membership in American Society,” American Sociological Review, 71 (2), 211–34.
EpsteinCynthia (1992), “Tinkerbells and Pinups: The Construction and Reconstruction of Gender Boundaries at Work,” in Cultivating Differences: Symbolic Boundaries and the Making of Inequality, LamontMichèleFournierMarcel, eds. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 232–56.
36.
FirchowPamina Maria (2005), “‘New’ War Theory: Does the Case of Colombia Apply?,” Peace, Conflict and Development: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 7 (July), 32–58.
37.
FischerConstance (2009), “Bracketing in Qualitative Research: Conceptual and Practical Matters,” Psychotherapy Research, 19 (4-5), 583–90.
38.
Florez-MorrisMauricio (2007), “Joining Guerilla Groups in Colombia: Individual Motivations and Processes for Entering a Violent Organization,” Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 30 (7), 615–34.
GaltungJohan (1969), “Violence, Peace, and Peace Research,” Journal of Peace Research, 6 (3), 167–91.
41.
GarudRaghuHardyCynthiaMaguireSteve (2007), “Institutional Entrepreneurship as Embedded Agency: An Introduction to the Special Issue,” Organization Studies, 28 (7), 957–69.
42.
GeorgeGerardZahraShaker A. (2002), “Culture and its Consequences for Entrepreneurship,” Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 26 (4), 5–8.
43.
GierynThomas F. (1983), “Boundary-Work and the Demarcation of Science from Non-Science: Strains and Interests in Professional Ideologies of Scientists,” American Sociological Review, 48 (6), 781–95.
HamiltonDavid L.ShermanSteven J. (1996), “Perceiving Persons and Groups,” Psychological Review, 103 (2), 336–55.
47.
HaynieJ. MichaelShepherdDean (2011), “Toward a Theory of Discontinuous Career Transition: Investigating Career Transitions Necessitated by Traumatic Life Events,” Journal of Applied Psychology, 96 (3), 501–24.
48.
HermansHubertHermans-KonopkaAgnieszka (2010), Dialogical Self Theory: Positioning and Counter-Positioning in a Globalizing Society. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.
49.
HillRichardTaylorGwendolynTeminJonathan (2008), Would You Fight Again? Understanding Liberian Ex-Combatant Reintegration, Special Report. Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace.
50.
HittMichaelIrelandDuaneSirmonDavidTrahmsCheryl (2011), “Strategic Entrepreneurship: Creating Value for Individuals, Organizations, and Society,” Academy of Management Perspective, 25 (2), 57–75.
51.
HuntShelby (2010), Marketing Theory. New York, NY: Routledge.
52.
Institute for Economics and Peace (2017), Global Terrorism Index. Sydney, (accessed June 20, 2018), [available athttp://economicsandpeace.org/].
53.
JackSarah L.AndersonAlistair R. (2002), “The Effects of Embeddedness on the Entrepreneurial Process,” Journal of Business Venturing, 17 (5), 467–87.
LaczniakGeneSantosNicholas (2011), “The Integrative Justice Model for Marketing to the Poor: An Extension of SD Logic to Distributive Justice and Macromarketing,” Journal of Macromarketing, 31 (2), 135–47.
56.
LamontMichèleMolnárVirág (2002), “The Study of Boundaries in the Social Sciences,” Annual Review of Sociology, 28 (2002), 167–95.
LaytonRoger (2015a), “Formation, Growth, and Adaptive Change in Marketing Systems,” Journal of Macromarketing, 35 (3), 302–19.
60.
LaytonRoger (2015b), “Marketing, Marketing Systems, and the Framing of Marketing History,” Journal of Historical Research in Marketing, 7 (4), 549–72.
61.
LindemanSara (2014), “‘Until We Live Like They Live in Europe’: A Multilevel Framework for Community Empowerment in Subsistence Markets,” Journal of Macromarketing, 34 (2), 171–85.
62.
LysonskiSteven (1985), “A Boundary Theory Investigation of the Product Manager’s Role,” Journal of Marketing, 49 (1), 26–40.
63.
MairJohannaMartíIgnasi (2006), “Social Entrepreneurship Research: A Source of Explanation, Prediction, and Delight,” Journal of World Business, 41 (1), 36–44.
64.
ManfredoMarkShultzClifford (2007), “Risk, Trade, Recovery, and the Consideration of Real Options: The Imperative Coordination of Policy, Marketing, and Finance in the Wake of Catastrophe,” Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 26 (1), 33–48.
65.
MarxKarlEngelsFriedrich (1848), The Communist Manifesto. Ditzinfen, Germany: Reclam.
66.
McAdamsDan (2008), “Personal Narratives and the Life Story,” in Handbook of Personality: Theory and Research, RobinsJ.PervinppL., eds. New York, NY: Guilford Press, 241–61.
MilesMorgan P.CrispinStuartKasoufChickery J. (2011), “Entrepreneurship’s Relevance to Marketing,” Journal of Research in Marketing and Entrepreneurship, 13 (2), 126–36.
NavisChadGlynnMary Ann (2011), “Legitimate Distinctiveness and the Entrepreneurial Identity: Influence on Investor Judgments of New Venture Plausibility,” Academy of Management Review, 36 (3), 479–99.
74.
NguyenThi Tuyet MaiRahtzDonShultzClifford (2014), “Tourism as Catalyst for Quality of Life in Transitioning Subsistence Marketplaces: Perspectives from Ha Long, Vietnam,” Journal of Macromarketing, 34 (1), 28–44.
75.
NingTravis (2005), “Colombia,” in Human Rights and the War on Terror, DonnellyJ., ed. Denver, CO: University of Denver, 83–102.
76.
Nippert-EngChristena (1996), “Calenders and Keys: The Classification of ‘Home’ and ‘Work’,” Sociological Forum, 11 (3), 563–83.
77.
OetzelJenniferWestermann-BehayloMichelleKoerberCharlesFortTimothy L.RiveraJorge (2009), “Business and Peace: Sketching the Terrain,” Journal of Business Ethics, 89 (4), 351–73.
78.
PaswanAudhesh K.TranTrang P. (2012), “Vietnam and Entrepreneurial Private Enterprises: A Macromarketing Perspective,” Journal of Macromarketing, 32 (1), 18–30.
79.
PattonMichael Quinn (2002), Qualitative Research and Evaluation Methods, 3rd ed. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
80.
QuickKathryn S.FeldmanMartha S. (2014), “Boundaries as Junctures: Collaborative Boundary Work for Building Efficient Resilience,” Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 24 (3), 673–95.
ShultzClifford (1997), “Improving Life Quality for the Destitute: Contributions from Multiple-Method Fieldwork in War-Ravaged Transition Economies,” Journal of Macromarketing, 17 (1), 56–67.
87.
ShultzClifford (2007), “Marketing as Constructive Engagement,” Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 26 (2), 293–301.
88.
ShultzClifford (2012), “Vietnam: Political Economy; Marketing System,” Journal of Macromarketing, 32 (1), 7–17.
89.
ShultzClifford (2016), “Marketing an End to War: Constructive Engagement, Community Wellbeing, and Sustainable Peace,” Markets, Globalization and Development Review, 1 (2), 1–23.
90.
ShultzCliffordBurkinkTimothyGrbacBrunoRenkoNataša (2005), “When Policies and Marketing Systems Explode: An Assessment of Food Marketing in the War-Ravaged Balkans and Implications for Recovery, Sustainable Peace, and Prosperity,” Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 24 (1), 24–37.
91.
ShultzCliffordRahtzDonJoseph SirgyM. (2017), “Distinguishing Flourishing from Distressed Communities: Vulnerability, Resilience and a Systemic Framework to Facilitate Well-being,” in Handbook of Community Well-Being Research, PhillipsR.WongC., eds. Dordrecht, the Netherlands: Springer, 403–21.
92.
SlaterCharles (1968), “Marketing Processes in Developing Latin American Societies,” Journal of Marketing, 32 (July), 60–66.
93.
Sophocles (2015/5th CBC), Aias (Ajax). New York, NY: Start Publishing, Simon and Schuster.
94.
SredlKatherineShultzCliffordBrečićRužica (2017), “The Arizona Market: A Marketing Systems Perspective on Pre-and Post-War Developments in Bosnia, with Implications for Sustainable Peace and Prosperity,” Journal of Macromarketing, 37 (3), 300–16.
95.
SridharanSrinivasMaltzElliotViswanathanMadhubalanGuptaSamir (2014), “Transformative Subsistence Entrepreneurship: A Study in India,” Journal of Macromarketing, 34 (4), 486–504.
96.
StarSusan Leigh (2010), “This Is Not a Boundary Object: Reflections on the Origin of a Concept,” Science, Technology and Human Values, 35 (5), 601–17.
97.
StarSusan LeighGriesemerJames R. (1989), “Institutional Ecology, ‘Translations’ and Boundary Objects: Amateurs and Professionals in Berkeley’s Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, 1907-39,” Social Studies of Science, 19 (3), 387–420.
98.
StiglitzJosephBilmesLinda (2008), The Three Trillion Dollar War: The True Cost of the Iraq War. New York, NY: WW Norton and Company Inc.
99.
SuhrkeAstriBerdalMats (2012), The Peace in Between Post-War Violence and Peacebuilding. New York, NY: Routledge.
100.
ThemnérAnders (2011), Violence in Post-Conflict Societies: Remarginalization, Remobilizers and Relationships. London, UK: Routledge.
101.
TobiasJutta M.MairJohannaBarbosa-LeikerCelestina (2013), “Toward a Theory of Transformative Entrepreneuring: Poverty Reduction and Conflict Resolution in Rwanda’s Entrepreneurial Coffee Sector,” Journal of Business Venturing, 28 (6), 728–42.
ViswanathanMadhuEchambadiRajVenugopalSrinivasSridharanSrinivas (2014), “Subsistence Entrepreneurship, Value Creation, and Community Exchange Systems: A Social Capital Explanation,” Journal of Macromarketing, 34 (2), 213–26.
104.
ViswanathanMadhubalanSridharanSrinivas (2009), “From Subsistence Marketplaces to Sustainable Marketplaces: A Bottom-up Perspective on the Role of Business in Poverty Alleviation,” Ivey Business Journal, 73 (2), 1–15.
105.
WeberMax ((1978) [1922]), Economy and Society: An Outline of Interpretive Sociology. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
106.
WooliscroftBenGanglmair-WooliscroftAlexandra (2018), “Growth, Excess and Opportunities: Marketing Systems’ Contributions to Society,” Journal of Macromarketing, 38 (4), 355–63.
107.
World Bank (2011), World Development Report 2011: Conflict, Security, and Development. Washington, DC: World Bank.
108.
ZahraShakerGeorgeGerard (2002), International entrepreneurship: the current status of the field and future research agenda. In: HittM.A.IrelandR.D.SextonD.CampM. (Eds.), Strategic Entrepreneurship: Creating an Integrated Mindset. Blackwell Publishers, Malden, MA. 255–288
109.
ZahraShakerWrightMike (2016), “Understanding the Social Role of Entrepreneurship,” Journal of Management Studies, 53 (4), 610–29.
110.
ZerubavelEviatar (1996), “Lumping and Splitting: Notes on Social Classification,” Sociological Forum, 11 (3), 421–33.
111.
ZyckSteven A. (2009), “Former Combatant Reintegration and Fragmentation in Contemporary Afghanistan: Analysis,” Conflict, Security and Development, 9 (1), 111–31.
