Entrepreneur shift

Small and medium enterprise (SME) occupies a large percentage of firms in the business. Most of small company will operate and control by one owner known as an entrepreneur. In the period of global economic recess, changes and uncertainty are common issue in every organization. Quality entrepreneur will help the company from the assault of oppositions and remain competitive it the market. In order to perform this practice, entrepreneur requires an essential ability and performance to operate the company. Entrepreneur characteristic will help entrepreneur lead the company to the success. However, many people questioning about these entrepreneur character that it is possible to develop by training or not. The phrase ‘entrepreneurs are born and that people cannot be trained to be entrepreneurs’ is controversial discussion in this area. The purpose of this essay is analyzing this phrase and provides the answer of the question whether a person can train to be entrepreneur or not. This essay will provide supporting evidence of both arguments. Firstly, it will explain the definition and background knowledge of entrepreneur together with notify necessary skill for successful entrepreneur, follow by the analyzing of argument that entrepreneurs are born to be. After that, counter arguments state that person can train to be an entrepreneur will be explained. Finally, the conclusion of this idea will be drawn up on the reason from both side of the argument. In addition, a recommended solution for being successful entrepreneur will also be outline in this essay.

The first definition of Entrepreneur firstly defines in 1734 by Richard Cantillon. He define entrepreneur as individual owner of the private enterprise who expecting a benefit from the industrial profit (Boyett, 1996). Later, the meaning of entrepreneur has include of individual utilize of limited resource generating a maximum profit. This word came from French word which means to undertake. It used for describe individual who had formulated a new innovative idea and formulate this idea together with the available resource in order to create new business venture. In other word, entrepreneurs are person who operate in the market to generating new products or services (Schaper and Volery, 2004). Successful entrepreneur require psychological characteristics such as needs for achievement, risk taking and management, ability to control, managing people and leadership. They need to have an ability to access to information and knowledge availability. Information technology is crucial tool helping entrepreneur obtain necessarily information and data. It will create an opportunity to acquire and access to an essential resource and knowledge. Furthermore, an ability to connect the accessible knowledge with a business circumstance and cognitive heuristic also recognize as requirement to success in this the business. According to Kabir (2009), seven keys to be successful entrepreneur consists of common sense, specific knowledge in the industry, self-confidence, ability to manage, creativity, leadership and self reliance. Successful entrepreneur require an extraordinary character and attitude which make them special than others.

One of the most controversial discussions about Entrepreneurship is what can make entrepreneur. Whether entrepreneur can be train to be or they need to born as an entrepreneur. A phrase of entrepreneurs are born and that people cannot be trained to be entrepreneurs is a popular issue in this area of study. In order to justify this phrase, all the aspect of entrepreneur study and the reason supporting each argument must be clearly clarified. Both side of the argument have reasonable argument to support their claim. The supporting reason of this claim mainly came from some character and attitude of entrepreneur that some argue it is impossible to develop by training or teaching.

According to Deamer and Earle (2004), many believe entrepreneur build up by individual character including vision and passion which unable to be trained. However, some experts argue that entrepreneur skill such as motivating and inspiring people, leadership and evaluating business opportunity can be obtained by every person looking to be an entrepreneur. In order to analyze this phrase, the supporting reason on both side of the argument need to be clarified.

The reason of claiming entrepreneurs are born to be and it can not be trained because a successful entrepreneur extremely needs a specific attitude that naturally born with people and it can not be taught. One of these attitudes is a vision to image themselves as an entrepreneur. They will never see themselves working for someone after be an entrepreneur and they must do everything within their power to avoid that situation.

Regardless of how big a business is or how many employees, entrepreneur needs to operate their business and maximize the benefit from their resource. Moreover, other reason that made entrepreneurship can not develop in person who is not born to be entrepreneur is the trait of successful entrepreneur. Herb Kelleher, chairman and founder of Southwest Airlines claims that successful entrepreneur needs a DNA of entrepreneur. Some traits of entrepreneur can be trained but some can not. Kelleher specific that character such as listening skill, knowledge, education, judgment, and ability to focus on important mission can reinforce by training but other entrepreneur traits can not. Entrepreneur personality that Kelleher stating that it can not be made consist of a reasonable intelligence, optimistic nature, lengthy attention span, perseverance and a love of people (Allen and Economy, 2009). Entrepreneur gene will provide them with these personal traits which impossible for develop from training. All of these characters must fulfill in every successful entrepreneur. In some case that they miss one character, entrepreneurs will know that they must find a smart employee with the character which they do not have. Essential traits that can not develop by training are the reason why entrepreneur are born and people cannot be trained to be Entrepreneurs.

The argument on other side in this debate, entrepreneur can be made claims that there is no trait that can not be developed but it depends on the length of learning. This claim was on the opposite side of Kelleher statement that some specific character can not be trained.
Research from David, Dent and Green (1996) argue that entrepreneurial personality can develop through past experience. The research focused in successful entrepreneurs group. Part of research mention about different background of successful entrepreneur in terms of social and individual factor. Family background, career, work experience, social environment and economic are include in the learning factor. This study found that entrepreneurial personality possible to develop through time and every element of experience are part of this development. They conclude that early life experiences are main factor of shaping entrepreneurs characters. Environment content such as social and economic culture are main factor of creating entrepreneurs traits. Past experience in study, training, work experience will develop entrepreneur behavior.

Another evidence supporting the possibility of training to be entrepreneur is a significantly increase of study in entrepreneurship subject. Thompson (1999) stated that in United State, entrepreneurship becomes popular subject in US business school. He suggest that in the next twenties years a study about entrepreneurship will become the most controversial subject replacing management study. In Canada, small businesses produce 45 per cent of national product and 60 per cent of the country workforce employed by small and medium enterprise (SME). In 2001, small business occupies 98 per cent of total business in Canada. More than 2.5 millions corporations classify as a businesses (Ibrahim and Soufani, 2002). Training and development of Canadian entrepreneur create entrepreneurship education and training course aiming to enhance managerial skill and develop character of entrepreneur. Furthermore, many universities in Canada already include entrepreneurship program as a part of their business school. In the study by Ibrahim and Soufani (2002), 53 universities have provided entrepreneurship education and small business management for both prospect entrepreneurs and existing entrepreneurs. The research also found that 40 per cent of students attend this program successfully start and operate a successful business. Entrepreneurship knowledge of awareness, new venture creation and venture management are the most focused area of entrepreneurship training in Canadian university. Increase of entrepreneurship study in U.S. and Canada is the evidence supporting the argument that entrepreneur can be made.

In the present day, the number of small business has increase due to a new point of interested in a new generation. Generation Y trend to looking forward to invest in a small business rather than employed by the company. Generation Y is the group of individual who born between 1977 and 1994. People in this generation also called as the internet generation, millennial and the nexters. Generally, Generation Y has different experiences and lifestyle from other generation. Many of them will work for several jobs before becoming full-time employment. Part time job is normal to children in this group. It will provide them with the perception of the future career. They will have a clear vision of what they like and dislike about the job. Work experience in various type of industry make generation Y searching for a challenge job that match with their ability for their full time employment (Maxwell& Ogden, 2007). The research also found that generation Y student will be more concentrate on their degree than previous generation. To them thinking, degree will significantly help them approach to the job earlier. Generation Y mostly represent well-educated, flexible, high self confident and high social awareness.
Many traits of Generation Y are matching with require characters of entrepreneur. Main characteristic of generation Y including strong work ethic, high awareness of responsibility, flexible and comfortable with changes, High optimistic thinking about the future, independent, high self confident, optimistic thinking about the future and always seek for skill development. Independent and self reliant are special character of people in this generation that permit work well alone and also have teamwork awareness. Furthermore, generation Y is they are technology savvy. They grow up with the internet and digital media. It helps developing an ability of processing input data and information. The complexity of technology used is also increasing together with their age (Martin, 2005).

Due to the high ability, positive attitude, technological savvy and flexible with chance characteristic, generation Y is the most wanted manpower to every organization. However, retain generation Y employee is far more difficult than recruiting them. Less commitment and seeking for flexibility cause generation Y employee always search for an opportunity for creating their own business. Previous generation of U.S. workforce which recognize as “generation X” mostly always change their job to a new corporation that offer higher income. The generation X's first full time job is last only for one year. In addition, generation X member over 32 years of age averagely have employed for more than nine jobs (Jorgensen, 2003). While generation X continue looking for a new employee, generation Y will looking for an opportunity to be an entrepreneur. The similar character and long term work life expectation between generation Y and entrepreneur personality shows that generation Y trend to become a great and successful entrepreneur.

From the common characteristics among generation Y, it can be conclude that the childhood experiences and early working experience of Generation Y reinforcing them with entrepreneur trait. This conclusion is support the statement from David, Dent and Green (1996) which claims that early life experiences are main factor of shaping entrepreneurs characters. Powerful evidence supported entrepreneur can be made is many universities and business institutions include entrepreneurship and small business management as a part of their program. Studying MGMT940 in University of Wollongong is also another good example support that training can develop the characteristics and attitudes of entrepreneur. Therefore, entrepreneurs are not born and that people can be trained to be entrepreneurs. Education, environment condition and early life experiences are main factor creating entrepreneur personality.

There is no final conclusion of this argument however, it is obviously see that proper training will help improving basic skills require as an entrepreneur. Huovinen and Tihula (2008) suggested that learning from portfolio entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial experience will provide an essential knowledge for entrepreneur. It will create benefit and help them expanding a vision as an entrepreneur. New business strategies, source of information and new market are valuable information that entrepreneur can study from portfolio entrepreneurship. This portfolio made up of entrepreneurial experience and individual characteristic influenced by personal history and past work experience. Entrepreneurial experience consider as a stock of experience that consist of skill developed over the time and knowledge accumulated by many individual experience of successful entrepreneur in the history. Recognition of new opportunities, managerial knowledge and specific know-how also include in this model. The finding by Huovinen and Tihula (2008) also reported that learning from entrepreneurship portfolio will help developing trait and attitude of successful entrepreneur. Moreover, learning and processing from past experience will make learner automatically absorb the way of thinking as an entrepreneur and develop entrepreneur vision in the same time. Entrepreneur is the most important person for small business and they are crucial for a success or failure of business. Consequently, entrepreneur should acquire as much as possible training and knowledge to prepare them for the new challenge.

In conclusion, in personally, I not agree with the phrase claim that entrepreneurs are born and that people cannot be trained to be entrepreneurs because many training program and subject concern entrepreneurship are available in many universities. If person can not train to be entrepreneur, it will be no one attending this particular program. Supporting reason for experts who claim that entrepreneur can not be taught and develop by educated is entrepreneur consists of special characters and attitude which impossible to build up. These attitudes include an entrepreneur vision, intelligence and optimistic nature. There is only people who born with entrepreneur DNA who have this personality. Other and stronger side of this argument claims that people can be train to be entrepreneur. The reason is because every skill and ability can be train in a certain period of time. Personality, characters and attitude of entrepreneur may need long period of training and developing but it can be done. Research also found that early life experience is a main feature for achieve an entrepreneur trait. Education, environment and working experience will help people develop a necessarily personality. Similarity of character between entrepreneur and generation Y is supporting evidence show that entrepreneur character can be shaping in the childhood period. All generation Y are all develop common character and attitude that comply with entrepreneur personality because they are born in same period with similar environment and childhood experience. Furthermore, popular course about entrepreneurship and small business management in many universities across the world also restate that entrepreneur can be trained. Entrepreneurs are not born and people can be trained to be entrepreneurs.

To recommended, even this argument can not find a certain proof, every entrepreneur or prospect should find an entrepreneur training program for reinforce and improve themselves for future challenge. Portfolio entrepreneurship is an effective way of learning because it will provide necessary knowledge and skill. The portfolio from past experience of successful entrepreneur will help improve entrepreneur ability and develop entrepreneur attitude and characters for both new and existing entrepreneur. Entrepreneur is the most important person in small business. Smart entrepreneur with sufficient skill and character of successful entrepreneur will lead the company to the successful future.

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