Traditional Cultural Industry in Jepara: An Open Innovative Ecosystem Approach

Abstract

Traditional industry was initially built with kinship, cultural value, and unique characters representing a particular system of production. However, current industry challenges pressurized traditional industry bond of primordial system with the need of adaptations to survive. Some traditional industry may resist the twenty-first-century challenges and pressures, but many of them are transforming their cultural and production characters to adapt modern business competitions. Indonesian traditional furniture industry Jepara has their familial system of productions which constitute “flexible specialization” where particular kinship and work contract created from a very specialized household small-scale furniture producer. However, this production system in fact struggles and is contrasted with the community needs to survive in the industry. The likely occurring progress of traditional industry are then remaining on the senior members of the industry to preserve knowledge which has empowered over many generations, while the younger generations consider transforming their ability for survivability and better financial rewards.

This chapter is the further elaboration of how Indonesian rural traditional furniture industry in Jepara presents its survivability and whether it is sustainable. This chapter exemplifies participants’ quotes and statements which create anxiety toward their future, cultural value, bond of industry kinship, and doubting their ability to withhold global and local pressures.

Citation

Patria, D., Usmanij, P. and Ratten, V. (2020), "Traditional Cultural Industry in Jepara: An Open Innovative Ecosystem Approach", Leitão, J., Ratten, V. and Barroca, J. (Ed.) A Guide to Planning and Managing Open Innovative Ecosystems, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 133-154. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-78973-409-620201010