ENTREPRENEURIAL CHARACTER STUDIES
Entrepreneurship is a human process related to creativity and innovation in understanding
opportunities, organizing resources, managing so that the opportunities are realized into a
business that is able to generate profits or value for a long period of time. This definition
emphasizes the aspects of creativity and innovation, because with creativity and innovative
nature someone can find opportunities. In this chapter, we will discuss in more depth the
character of an entrepreneur based on the opinions of entrepreneurship experts and
businessmen themselves.
2.1 Entrepreneurial Character
According to David (1996) the characteristics possessed by an entrepreneur fulfill the
requirements of competitive advantage for a company/organization, such as innovative,
creative, adaptive, dynamic, ability to integrate, ability to take risks on decisions made, integrity,
fighting spirit, and code of ethics will certainly realize the effectiveness of the
company/organization. This is illustrated through Table 1.
According to Bygrave (1996), the character of an entrepreneur is a combination of various
positive mental attitudes and requires processes that originate from both internal and external
sources, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.
In addition, in a study on the Standardization of the Indonesian Version of Youth
Entrepreneurship Potential Test; Munawir Yusuf (1999) found 11 characteristics or indicators of
entrepreneurship, namely:
1. Motivation to achieve
2. Independence
3. Creativity
4. Risk taking (moderate)
5. Tenacity
6. Future orientation
7. Communicative and reflective
8. Leadership
9. Locus of Control
10. Instrumental behavior
11. Respect for money.
In addition to the characteristics that have been stated at the beginning, the following will
explain in more depth the characteristics of an entrepreneur, summarized from various sources.
2.1.1 Have High Creativity
According to Theodore Levit, creativity is the ability to think new and different. According to
Levit, creativity is thinking something new (thinking new thing), therefore according to him,
entrepreneurship is thinking and acting something new or thinking something old in new ways.
According to Zimmerer in Suryana (2003: 24) revealed that creative ideas often emerge when
entrepreneurs see something old and think of something new and different. Therefore, creativity
, is creating something from nothing (generating something from nothing). Innovation is the ability
to apply creativity in order to solve problems and opportunities to improve and enrich life
(innovation is the ability to apply creative solutions to those problems and opportunities to
enhance or to enrich people's lives).
From the definition above, creativity contains the following meanings:
1. Creativity is creating something that originally did not exist.
2. The results of present cooperation to improve the past in new ways.
3. Replace something with something simpler and better.
The secret of entrepreneurship is in creating added value for goods and services lies in the
application of creativity and innovation to solve problems and seize opportunities faced by each
Initiative is doing something without waiting for orders. The habit of taking the initiative will give
birth to creativity (inventiveness) after that giving birth to innovation.
2.1.2 Always be committed to work, have work ethic and responsibility
An entrepreneur must have a spirit of commitment in his business and a strong determination in
devoting all his attention to the business he will be engaged in, in running the business a
successful entrepreneur continues to have a fiery and burning determination (high spirit) in
developing his business, he is not half-hearted in trying, dares to take risks, works hard, and is
not afraid to face the opportunities that exist in the market. Without serious effort towards the
work he is engaged in, no matter how great an entrepreneur is, he will definitely find a path of
failure in his business. Therefore, it is very important for an entrepreneur to commit to his
business and work. Max Weber stated that the essence of the German work ethic is: rational,
highly disciplined, hard work, oriented towards material success, thrifty and modest, not
indulging in pleasure, saving and investing. In the East, the Japanese live "bushido" (ethos of
the samurai) a combination of Shintoism and Zen Buddhism. This is what is called
by Jansen H. Sinamo (1999) as "the basic character of Japanese work culture".
There are 7 principles in bushido, namely:
1. Gi: the right decision is taken with the right attitude based on the truth, if
must die for that decision, die bravely, honorably,
2. Yu: brave, knight,
3. Jin: generous, loving and kind to others,
4. Re: be polite, act correctly,
5. Makoto: sincere, sincere, sincere, selfless,
6. Melyo: maintaining honor, dignity, glory,
7.Chugo: devoted, loyal. It is clear that Japan's progress is because they are committed to
implementing bushido, consistent, intense and quality.
Indonesia has the philosophy of Pancasila, but it failed to become our nation's work ethic
because the people are not committed, not intense, and not serious in implementing the
principles of Pancasila in everyday life. Jansen H. Sinamo (1999) developed 8 Excellent Work
Ethics as follows:
1. Work is holy, work is my calling, I am able to work properly.
Entrepreneurship is a human process related to creativity and innovation in understanding
opportunities, organizing resources, managing so that the opportunities are realized into a
business that is able to generate profits or value for a long period of time. This definition
emphasizes the aspects of creativity and innovation, because with creativity and innovative
nature someone can find opportunities. In this chapter, we will discuss in more depth the
character of an entrepreneur based on the opinions of entrepreneurship experts and
businessmen themselves.
2.1 Entrepreneurial Character
According to David (1996) the characteristics possessed by an entrepreneur fulfill the
requirements of competitive advantage for a company/organization, such as innovative,
creative, adaptive, dynamic, ability to integrate, ability to take risks on decisions made, integrity,
fighting spirit, and code of ethics will certainly realize the effectiveness of the
company/organization. This is illustrated through Table 1.
According to Bygrave (1996), the character of an entrepreneur is a combination of various
positive mental attitudes and requires processes that originate from both internal and external
sources, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.
In addition, in a study on the Standardization of the Indonesian Version of Youth
Entrepreneurship Potential Test; Munawir Yusuf (1999) found 11 characteristics or indicators of
entrepreneurship, namely:
1. Motivation to achieve
2. Independence
3. Creativity
4. Risk taking (moderate)
5. Tenacity
6. Future orientation
7. Communicative and reflective
8. Leadership
9. Locus of Control
10. Instrumental behavior
11. Respect for money.
In addition to the characteristics that have been stated at the beginning, the following will
explain in more depth the characteristics of an entrepreneur, summarized from various sources.
2.1.1 Have High Creativity
According to Theodore Levit, creativity is the ability to think new and different. According to
Levit, creativity is thinking something new (thinking new thing), therefore according to him,
entrepreneurship is thinking and acting something new or thinking something old in new ways.
According to Zimmerer in Suryana (2003: 24) revealed that creative ideas often emerge when
entrepreneurs see something old and think of something new and different. Therefore, creativity
, is creating something from nothing (generating something from nothing). Innovation is the ability
to apply creativity in order to solve problems and opportunities to improve and enrich life
(innovation is the ability to apply creative solutions to those problems and opportunities to
enhance or to enrich people's lives).
From the definition above, creativity contains the following meanings:
1. Creativity is creating something that originally did not exist.
2. The results of present cooperation to improve the past in new ways.
3. Replace something with something simpler and better.
The secret of entrepreneurship is in creating added value for goods and services lies in the
application of creativity and innovation to solve problems and seize opportunities faced by each
Initiative is doing something without waiting for orders. The habit of taking the initiative will give
birth to creativity (inventiveness) after that giving birth to innovation.
2.1.2 Always be committed to work, have work ethic and responsibility
An entrepreneur must have a spirit of commitment in his business and a strong determination in
devoting all his attention to the business he will be engaged in, in running the business a
successful entrepreneur continues to have a fiery and burning determination (high spirit) in
developing his business, he is not half-hearted in trying, dares to take risks, works hard, and is
not afraid to face the opportunities that exist in the market. Without serious effort towards the
work he is engaged in, no matter how great an entrepreneur is, he will definitely find a path of
failure in his business. Therefore, it is very important for an entrepreneur to commit to his
business and work. Max Weber stated that the essence of the German work ethic is: rational,
highly disciplined, hard work, oriented towards material success, thrifty and modest, not
indulging in pleasure, saving and investing. In the East, the Japanese live "bushido" (ethos of
the samurai) a combination of Shintoism and Zen Buddhism. This is what is called
by Jansen H. Sinamo (1999) as "the basic character of Japanese work culture".
There are 7 principles in bushido, namely:
1. Gi: the right decision is taken with the right attitude based on the truth, if
must die for that decision, die bravely, honorably,
2. Yu: brave, knight,
3. Jin: generous, loving and kind to others,
4. Re: be polite, act correctly,
5. Makoto: sincere, sincere, sincere, selfless,
6. Melyo: maintaining honor, dignity, glory,
7.Chugo: devoted, loyal. It is clear that Japan's progress is because they are committed to
implementing bushido, consistent, intense and quality.
Indonesia has the philosophy of Pancasila, but it failed to become our nation's work ethic
because the people are not committed, not intense, and not serious in implementing the
principles of Pancasila in everyday life. Jansen H. Sinamo (1999) developed 8 Excellent Work
Ethics as follows:
1. Work is holy, work is my calling, I am able to work properly.
