“When two worlds collide” conflicting logics in indigenous community-based enterprises

This study explores how Indigenous Community-Based Enterprises (ICBEs) navigate conflicts between Indigenous logics and Western logics. More precisely, by focusing on the case of Salinas de Guaranda in Ecuador, we examine, through an institutional logics perspective, how these enterprises confront challenges posed by environmental changes, such as generational shifts, regulatory pressures, and the pursuit of economic viability. Our analysis identifies two key strategies employed by ICBEs to manage conflicting logics: integration, which occurs when environmental changes are compatible with Indigenous logics, and symbolic compliance, which emerges when Indigenous logics clash with market-driven logics but the community remains the primary decision-maker. The findings highlight the interplay between tradition and modernity, collectivism and individualism, and illustrate the resilience of ICBEs in preserving their Indigenous logics. Hence, this study contributes to the institutional logics literature by introducing symbolic compliance as a strategy for balancing external pressures with Indigenous logics, advances organizational hybridity by showing how ICBEs selectively integrate external practices to preserve cultural identity, and highlights how conflicting logics drive innovation, fostering resilience and sustainability in Indigenous entrepreneurship. Plain English summary.