Natives need to learn new business ethics
Natives need to learn new business ethics
JAKARTA (JP): Noted historian Taufik Abdullah says many ethnic groups in Indonesia are known to be astute businesspeople, but they should open up to new business ethics and learn from others including those of Chinese descent.
Speaking in a seminar on Indonesian business ethics, Taufik, a senior researcher at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, said indigenous businesspeople should no longer rely on traditional business ethics to advance in today's competitive environment.
"They should add business networking and a working spirit to their business ethics vocabulary," he said.
About 100 students and scholars attended the seminar held by the Institute for the Study and Advancement of Business Ethnics here yesterday.
Another noted speaker was literary figure Umar Kayam, who has written several books on Javanese culture.
Taufik, who has a doctorate degree from Cornell University in Ithaca, United States, said indigenous businesspeople have a different sense of entrepreneurship, often influenced by their own ethnicity and upbringing.
He cited the Minangkabau businesspeople from West Sumatra, the Banjarese businesspeople from South Kalimantan, the traders from Bawean Island in East Java and the seafaring Bugis from South Sulawesi.
"They are all well-known for their business skills," Taufik said, adding that West Sumatran businesspeople display strong entrepreneurship similar to those of Chinese descent, and also show strong "brotherhood". Around Rp 20 billion is sent by West Sumatrans in Jakarta to their hometowns every annual Moslem holiday Idul Fitri.
"But they still occupy the lower rung in Indonesian business society," said Taufik, who is from West Sumatra.
Indigenous businesspeople's failure to improve their skills was mainly due to their limited business network. "They wouldn't have too much trouble expanding their business if they had a good network," he said. "With a good network, they would find it easier to market their product."
Good networking would also help businesspeople settle problems, he said.
Taufik also suggested that indigenous businesspeople emulate the "work ethos" of the Indonesian businesspeople of Chinese descent.
"Indonesian indigenous businesspeople, in general, must improve their work ethos or they'd never be able to survive global business competition in the future," he said.
Taufik praised the Indonesian businesspeople of Chinese descent for their enterprising spirit, strong intuition, thriftiness and levelheadedness when dealing with business problems.
Indonesian indigenous businesspeople should not be "allergic" to learning new business ethics, he said.
He also suggested they learn from history, including Indonesia's first vice president Mohammad Hatta, who was a strong advocate of independence.
"There are of course positive business skills already possessed by Indonesian indigenous businesspeople that should be maintained," he said, again referring to the Minangkabau businesspeople from West Sumatra.
Umar Kayam agreed with Taufik about the need to maintain the positive traits of indigenous businesspeople such as those from Java. Umar, a Javanese himself, and also a graduate of Cornell, said Javanese businesspeople also had a strong sense of brotherhood.
"They never seek huge profit margins, always prioritize harmony and maintain mutually beneficial business relations with others," he said. (imn)