Knowledge Sharing as the Basis of Learning in Innovation Pattern in Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs)

The study discusses process and implementation of knowledge sharing as the basis of learning in the innovation process that is undertaken in small and medium scale enterprises/SMEs with the contextual overview on the West Sumatran SMEs in Indonesia. As the context of the study, a specific SME in West Sumatra was taken as the case study. The study is an empirical-exploratory research where the qualitative method in terms of descriptive analysis was used as the main research approach. It also uses content analysis from the result of an in-depth interview as its main data analysis. A case study approach is used to collect data and information from the informants of the study. It can be inferred from the study that knowledge sharing has allowed an equal dissemination of information between people in the organisation of SME. Employees and owners spread information, knowledge as well as experience equally one to each other and this has led to the creation of a conducive environment in which learning processes can be smoothly undertaken. Such learning processes directly ease the innovation processes that is schemed and undertaken by the SME.Bahasa Indonesia Abstrak: Artikel ini membahas proses dan implementasi knowledge sharing sebagai sebuah dasar bagi pembelajaran dalam proses inovasi yang dterjadi pada usaha kecil dan menengah/UKM dengan konteks pada UKM di Provinsi Sumatera Barat, Indonesia. Sebagai bagian dari konteks, maka dilakukan pemilihan UKM spesifik yang dijadikan sebagai studi kasus. Studi ini merupakan penelitian empiris-exploratory yang menggunakan metode kualitatif dalam bentuk analisa deskriptif. Studi ini juga menggunakan analisa konten sebagai hasil dari in-depth interview untuk menganalisis data yang telah berhasil dikumpulkan. Pendekatan studi kasus digunakan untuk mengumpulkan data dan informasi dari informan penelitian. Studi ini menyimpulkan bahwa knowledge sharing akan memberikan dampak berupa adanya pembagian informasi yang merata antara sesama individu didalam UKM. Para karyawan dan pemilik UKM saling menyebarkan informasi, pengetahuan serta pengalaman secara merata pada sesamanya. Situasi ini lebih lanjut menciptakan lingkungan yang kondusif dimana proses pembelajaran dapat terlaksana dengan baik.  Proses pembelajaran yang dilakukan tersebut secara langsung mempermudah proses inovasi yang direncanakan dan dilakukan oleh UKM.    

‘Merantau’ - an Informal Entrepreneurial Learning Pattern in the Culture of Minangkabau Tribe in Indonesia

The aim of this paper is to expose an informal entrepreneurial learning pattern that is undertaken by the Minangkabau tribe in Indonesia and relate it to cultural dimension and perceived value of a society. This informal entrepreneurial learning pattern is called as ‘Merantau’ - which can simply be meant as ‘to emigrate’, in which the young males (mostly during the ages of 15-20, or even younger) leave their homeland; move to other places nationwide or abroad, and running entrepreneurial activities for their daily life. The existence of merantau as an informal cultural based entrepreneurial learning for the young Minangkabau tribe combined with their cultural dimension and perceived values have contributed to the creation of and bring positive impacts to entrepreneurial culture of the Minangkabau tribe.The Minangkabau tribe, as one of tribes in Indonesia, experiences very supportive social environment in which entrepreneurial culture is recognised as part of the way of life. Therefore, Minangkabau tribe is known as one of the most entrepreneurial tribes in Indonesia.This paper considers perceived value and cultural dimension that may bring consequence to entrepreneurial culture of a society, with particular analysis to Minangkabau tribe in Indonesia. Analysis is undertaken by considering the elements and index of cultural dimension and perceived values of a society that can create and intiate entreprenuerial habits and relate them to entrepreneurship.Result of the analysis shows an evidence that culture of a society also plays an important role to create and maintain entrepreneurial habits and experience of a society. Together with cultural dimension of a society, perceived values that a society has, also contributes to the creation of entrepreneurial culture of that society. This is shown in the context of the Minangkabau tribe who is well known as an entrepreneurial tribe in Indonesia. However, this study analyses one single cultural background from a specific tribe in Indonesia and since it was undertaken to a single cultural background, it will be worth to extend this study and investigation into several cultural and value backgrounds from various ethnic groups/tribes in Indonesia or any other countries. Comparatively, this will add knowledge and dimension regarding entrepreneurship and its relationship to cultural dimension and perceived values of a society/community/ethnic group

The influence of entrepreneurial role models on entrepreneurial motivation

This research investigates the influence of role models on student entrepreneurial motivation. It aims to find out and explain the most influential role model from several possible constructs. The mechanism by which such individuals can influence student entrepreneurial motivation and how that works was considered. As a foundation this research used and extended a conceptual understanding and framework from two previous core studies. These were Gibson (2004) and Shane et al., (2003). The latter work discusses the determinants of entrepreneurial motivation from quantitative and qualitative point of views. Gibson (2004) argued that the, then, existing literature had gaps concerning our understanding of entrepreneurial roles models. This gap still exists today but it is hoped that this study makes a significant contribution to our understanding of how role models influence others to consider taking up an entrepreneurial career. This study is particularly concerned with senior undergraduate business students at a university in Indonesia and underscores the importance of social influence as one of the determinants of the impact of role models on entrepreneurial motivation. Two hundred and ninety-one undergraduates responded to the initial questionnaire and thirty-eight took part in a further in-depth interview with the researcher. To provide a common basis for their understanding of the entrepreneur and entrepreneurial activities, a seperate baseline questionnaire was used. This study found that depending on the construct, the role model, directly or indirectly, exerted significant influence on individual entrepreneurial motivation. It found also that the closure mechanism (as suggested by Sorensen, 2007) which was developed out of the charisma and reputation components of Gibson (2004) was the most common mechanism when a student "appointed" another individual as their role model. This finding was strengthened by having considered the ways that role modles influence an individual and what is the possible influence and impact on that individual's daily and future life. The research also offers an important finding regarding the concept of proximity and the possible degree of influence of the role model on an individual's future career choice. Correlation between the individual and possible constructs of the role model provided an insight into the relative influence of role models and this can be used to consider the possible alternatives to delivering entrepreneurship education in universities. Interestingly, parents had the most influence followed by entrepreneurs. Lecturers can influence future careers in general but not specifically influence entrepreneurial motivation. Although it has contributed to filling the skill exisiting research gap, this study also has limitations, but offers interesting challenges. It is a study rooted in a single culture. The researcher understands that it would be possible to generalise the detailed findings and results to other countries given that cultural dimensions differ (Hofstede, 2012). However this very limitation offers the challenge of extending this research agenda through comparing and contrasting students from differing cultural backgrounds

Identifikasi Food Waste Behavior Rumah Tangga dalam Mewujudkan Ketahanan Pangan Keluarga

Sampah sisa makanan merupakan pemborosan sumber daya.  Organisasi Pangan dan Pertanian – FAO, menyatakan bahwa sekitar sepertiga dari pangan dunia terdegradasi atau dibuang. Indonesia menempati negara kedua penghasil sampah sisa makanan terbanyak di dunia setelah Saudi Arabia. Rumah tangga menjadi pusat penyumbang terbesar dari sampah makanan. Perilaku Pembuangan Makanan (Food Waste Behavior) merupakan isu global yang bisa berpengaruh terhadap ketahanan pangan keluarga. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengidentifikasi Food Waste Behavior dalam rumah tangga serta membangun kesadaran masyarakat, bahwasanya Food Waste Behavior ancaman bagi ketahanan pangan keluarga berdasarkan hasil penelitian dari peneliti terdahulu. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian studi literatur yang didasarkan pada hasil kajian literatur yang didukung oleh data sekunder dari sumber resmi. Analisis difoukuskan untuk mengidentifikasi Food Waste Behavior dalam rumah tangga. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan, Perilaku pembuangan makanan (food waste behavior) ini disebabkan oleh berbagai faktor diantaranya: perencanaan, belanja, penyimpanan, memasak, makan, mengelola sisa makanan, menilai sifat makanan, pembuangan. Perilaku ini dapat berpengaruh terhadap ketahanan pangan keluarga. Karena itu, pengurangan sampah sisa makanan dalam rumah tangga harus dilakukan penanganan secara komprehensif agar ketahanan pangan keluarga dapat terwujud. &nbsp

The Potential Influence of Entrepreneurial Role Models in the Teaching of Entrepreneurial Marketing: I want to be Like ... ?

This paper considers the role of particular entrepreneurial role models in the influencing of a sample of Indonesian undergraduate business students in considering becoming engaged in entrepreneurial activity upon graduation. It argues this within a traditional defining of the marketing entrepreneurship interface as the intersection of the two disciplines. It contributes by adding to our knowledge of the entrepreneurial dimension of this interface. The reader is invited to consider to what extent our findings might be applicable to their students

Involving the entrepreneurial role model: A possible development for entrepreneurship education

This paper offers and discusses an alternative way to delivering entrepreneurship education to students in higher education institutions through the involvement of a role model(s) in entrepreneurship teaching and learning. A previous study with students in an Indonesian university showed that the role model is in position to give positive influence to their entrepreneurial motivation, and furthermore, the choice for a future career as an entrepreneur. As a further development, this paper outlines a model whereby the appropriate role of the dominant entrepreneurial role models (who are parents, entrepreneurs and teachers/lecturers) are integrated one with the other and can be used as a source of an entrepreneurial learning process. The lecturer can take on the major task as the facilitator to encourage students to seek the appropriate knowledge about entrepreneurship in this integration whilst the other two constructs can take on their major tasks to act as sources of informal entrepreneurial learning (through social and active learning). Entrepreneurs in particular, can act as a 'business father or mother' to whom students can talk and with whom they can establish a longer infonnal relationship. This paper argues that whilst this model can be implemented successfully it is critical that a suitable and proper institutional setting -in terms of curriculum arrangement -alongside the availability of supporting facilities and infrastructures be arranged and addressed to support it. © 2014 by Jordan Whitney Enterprises, Inc, US

X-ray Structure and Properties of the Ferrous Octaethylporphyrin Nitroxyl Complex

The preparation and characterization of the iron octaethylporphyrin nitroxyl ion, [Fe(OEP)(NO)−], is reported. The complex was synthesized by the one-electron reduction of Fe(OEP)(NO) using anthracenide as the reducing agent. The compound was isolated as the potassium (2.2.2)cryptand salt. The anion was characterized using X-ray analysis with visible and infrared spectroscopy. The spectral features of the iron nitroxyl complex were consistent with previous literature reports. The important structural changes upon reduction were a significant decrease in the Fe–N–O bond angle from 142° to 127° and an increase in the N–O bond length from that in the starting nitrosyl moiety. The porphyrin ring became significantly less planar upon reduction, but the displacement of the iron atom from the 24-atom plane was essentially unchanged. In spite of the attempt to encapsulate the potassium ion with the (2.2.2)cryptand, significant interaction between K+ and the oxygen of the nitroxyl were observed, indicating a contact ion pair in the crystal structure. Comparison between the experimental structure and the DFT-calculated parameters were reported. The results are consistent with the Fe–N–O moiety being the site of the reduction, with little evidence for the reduction of the iron itself or the porphyrin ring. The proton NMR spectrum was also obtained, and the chemical shifts were significantly different from other S = 0 metalloporphyrin complexes. These shifts, though, were consistent with the DFT calculations