ASEAN ENTREPRENEURSHIP CONFERENCE 2012
5-6 November 2012, Sunway Hotel Resort & Spa, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAPER ID
TITLE
AUTHORS
PAGE
NUMBER
1
ENA002
ENTREPRENEURSHIP-TECHNOPRENEURSHIP
EDUCATION FOR UNDERGRADUATES:
PRACTICALITY VS CURRICULUM
Sariwati Mohd Shariff,
Rohana Ngah and Saridan
Abu Bakar
1
2
ENA003
ENA004
4
ENA005
Jasman Tuyon, Imbarine
Bujang and Agnes Paulus
Jidwin
Jasman Tuyon, Imbarine
Bujang and Agnes Paulus
Jidwin
Musalme Muda and
Norashidah Hashim
11
3
5
ENA007
MAPPING A HOLISTIC AND SUSTAINABLE
MICROENTERPRISES DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAM IN MALAYSIA: A PROPOSAL
PRATICAL ENTREPRENEURS BUSINESS
PLANS: NEW ENTREPRENEURS AND
BANKERS’ PERSPECTIVES
THE FUTURE WOMEN ENTREPRENEUR
UNDER THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN, FAMILY
AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAMME: ENTREPRENEURIAL
COMPETENCIES LEVEL
BUSINESS, THE ENVIRONMENT AND
SUSTAINABILITY: AN ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE
38
6
ENA008
Suhaimi Mhd Sarif and
Muhammad Husnee
Benjasom
Mazidah S., Md Nor Hayati
T., and Burairah H.
7
ENA009
Azizallah Rouddini and Mohd.
Hassan Mohd. Osman
57
8
ENA011
64
9
ENA012
Azyyati bt. Anuar, Ida
Normaya Mohd Nasir,
Firdaus Abdul Rahman and
Daing Maruak Sadek
Harif Amali Rivai
10
ENA013
Zulhamri A., Yuhanis B. A.
and Tai L. C.
80
11
ENA014
Cynthia @ Annamaria Robert
Dawayan, Imelda Albert Gisip
and Rainah Ginsad
86
PERFORMANCES STUDY OF ICT
INNOVATIVENESS IN MALAYSIA SERVICES
SECTOR SMEs: CORRELATES PERCEIVED
ATTRIBUTES OF INNOVATION AND CORE ICT
INDICATORS
GLOBALIZATION, INTERNATIONAL
ENTREPRENEURSHIP (IE) AND THEIR EFFECT
ON THE WORLD OF BUSINESS
BARRIERS TO START-UP THE BUSINESS
AMONG STUDENTS AT TERTIARY LEVEL : A
CASE STUDY IN NORTHERN STATES OF
PENINSULAR MALAYSIA
FACTOR INFLUENCING STUDENT’S
INTENTION TO BE ENTREPRENEUR: AN
EVIDENCE FROM INDONESIA HIGHER
EDUCATION
EXPLORING ANTECEDENTS AND
CONSEQUENCES OF ASIAN REPUTATION
MODEL IN THE ASIAN ENTERPRISE CONTEXT:
A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
FACTORS AFFECTING ENTREPRENEURIAL
INTENTION OF LOCAL PUBLIC UNIVERSITY
BUMIPUTERA STUDENTS IN SABAH
22
31
45
72
PAPER ID
12
ENA015
13
ENA016
14
ENA018
15
ENA019
16
ENA020
17
ENA022
18
ENA023
19
ENA025
20
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21
ENA029
22
ENA033
23
ENA036
TITLE
AUTHORS
PAGE
NUMBER
Nik Nor Hasimah Nik Ismail,
Rosli Mahmood and Roslan
Ab Rahim
91
Kamilah Ahmad
101
Ehsan Fansuree Surin, Nurul
Hafez Abd. Halil, Oswald
Timothy Edward and
Nurazree Mahmud
Pua Eng Teck
111
Shafie Mohamed Zabri
131
Norshiha Saidin, Firdaus
Putra Ariffin and Che Asniza
Osman
GATCHALIAN, Maria Luisa,
LOPEZ, Antonio IBAÑEZ,
Maria Cristina, and
SERRANO, Mona Liza
Nurul Lizzan Kamarudin, Wee
Chong Hui and Hasmiza
Abdul Majeed
142
BRAND RELEVANCE AND ITS RELATIONSHIP
WITH BRAND EQUITY ASSESSMENT
MEASURING PERFORMANCE OF NEW SMALL
AND MEDIUM-SIZED VENTURES: AN
EXPLORATORY STUDY
Ching Wing, Lo
165
Saridan Abu Bakar, Shamsul
Baharin Saihani and Rudzi
Munap
172
DEVELOPING THE ENTREPRENEURIAL
ATTITUDE ORIENTATION, STRATEGIC
COMPETENCY BEHAVIOUR AND COMPETITIVE
INTELLIGENCE IN THE INNOVATION-LED
ECONOMY
ANALYSIS OF MARKETING PERFORMANCE ON
SILK INDUSTRY THROUGH MIX MARKETING
STRATEGY AND COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
Ainul Mohsein binti AbdulMohsin, Hasliza Abdul Halim
and Noor Hazlina Ahmad
181
Iman Firmansyah,
Wahyukaton and Yani Syafe’i
188
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
INTRAPRENEURIAL ORIENTATION AND JOB
PERFORMANCE AMONG ACADEMICIANS IN
MALAYSIAN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES
FACTORS EXPLAINING THE EXTENT OF USE
OF MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING PRACTICES
IN MALAYSIAN MEDIUM FIRMS
SOCIAL NETWORK-BASED RESEARCH: A
PROPOSED FRAMEWORK FOR MALAYSIAN
SMEs ENTREPRENEURS
THE IMPLICATION OF ENTREPRENEURIAL
AND STRATEGIC MARKET ORIENTATION ON
MALAYSIAN SME’S INTERNATIONALIZATION
PERFORMANCES- THE NETWORK
PERSPECTIVE
STUDY OF FINANCING PREFERENCES AND
CAPITAL STRUCTURE AMONG MALAYSIAN
SMEs: EVIDENCE FROM ENTERPRISE 50
AWARD WINNERS
YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUCCESS
STORY: THE CASE OF BOONGA SHOES
A BOTTOM-UP DEVELOPMENT APPROACH
MODEL FOR A LIFELONG
ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION IN THE
PHILIPPINES
THE TYPOLOGY OF ENTREPRENEURS
AMONG SINGLE MOTHERS IN KUCHING,
SARAWAK
118
147
159
PAPER ID
TITLE
AUTHORS
PAGE
NUMBER
24
ENA037
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND
ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTION: IMPACT OF
CREATIVITY
Rohana Ngah, Wan Ismail,
Ahmad Tajuddin and Hardi
Emrie
200
25
ENA038
Haryo Kuncoro
205
26
ENA040
Muhammad Hasfarizal
Kamaludin, Izaidin Abdul
Majid, Mohd. Shamsuri Md.
Saad and Norazlina Ab. Aziz
217
27
ENA042
Sabri Nayan, Norsiah Kadir
and Mat Saad Abdullah
225
28
ENA043
ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT TRANSITION
DYNAMICS IN PUBLIC SECTOR : THE CASE OF
LOCAL ECONOMIC GOVERNANCE IN
INDONESIA
SUSTAINABILITY – DRIVEN
ENTREPRENEURSHIP: THE RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN ENTREPRENEURIAL ORIENTATION
AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
MANAGEMENT OF SMEs
POST KEYNESIAN PERSPECTIVES ON
SAVINGS, INVESTMENT AND ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT: AN EXAMINATION OF THE
MALAYSIAN DATA
CHALLENGES IN MOVING ENTREPRENEURIAL
ACTIVITY TO THE RURAL REGIONS
Om Prakash. C
234
29
ENA044
ENA045
31
ENA048
Hasnun Anip Bustaman and
Othman Mohd. Yunus
Che Maznah Mat Isa,
Hamidah Mohd Saman, Siti
Rashidah Mohd Nasir and
Nor Hazwani Abd Rahman
Faridah Abdul Halim and
Muhammad Rozi Malim
248
30
SUCCESS IN BUSINESS: DO THE MALAYS
HOLD THE RIGHT VALUES?
ENTRY MODE AND ENTRY TIMING DECISIONS
BY MALAYSIAN CONSTRUCTION FIRMS IN
INTERNATIONAL MARKET
32
ENA049
Mohd Ali Bahari Abdul Kadir
and Suhaimi Mhd. Sarif
270
33
ENA053
Ibrahim Al-Jubari, and Arif
Hassan
277
34
ENA054
A. Lokman, M. Masud, and
M. I. Abu-Hassan
285
35
ENA057
COMPARING THE MANAGEMENT CAPABILITY
OF SMEs WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN
MALAYSIA USING ANALYTIC HIERARCHY
PROCESS (AHP)
SOCIAL ENTERPRISE SUSTAINABILITY: THE
PERSPECTIVE OF THE OWNERS’ OF PRIVATE
ISLAMIC SCHOOLS
INTEGRATING SELF-DETERMINATION THEORY
AND THEORY OF PLANNED BEHAVIOR TO
STRENGTHEN ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTION
AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS: A
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
DENTISTRY AT THE CROSSROAD –
PROFESSION OR ENTREPRENEURSHIP
IMPACT OF MENTORING AND PEER-LEARNING Joanna Mills, Shima Barakat
and Shailendra Vyakarnam
WITHIN A GLOBAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
PROGRAMME
258
264
289
PAPER ID
36
ENA059
37
ENA061
38
ENA063
39
ENA064
40
ENA065N
41
ENA066F
42
ENA070N
43
ENA072
44
ENA073
45
ENA074
46
ENA075
47
ENA076
48
ENA077
TITLE
WHAT MAKES ENTREPRENEUR
ENTREPRENEURIAL
AUTHORS
Rohani Mohd, Khulida Kirana,
Badrul Hisham and Mohd
Reeza Bustami
TOWARDS THE ENTREPRENEURIAL
Zulhamri Abdullah, Mohamad
UNIVERSITY: A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
Shatar Sabran and Mohd
OF UNIVERSITI PUTRA MALAYSIA
Fauzi Ramlan
THE PERCEPTION OF SMES ON THE
Zulkifflee Mohamed, Hafizah
IMPORTANCE OF A PROPER ACCOUNTING
Binti Mohd. Hanafi @ Omar
SYSTEM: MALAYSIAN EVIDENCE
and Hasni Binti Mohd.
Hanafi@Omar
ENVIRONMENTAL BEHAVIOUR MODEL OF
Nurul Ainun Ahmad Atory and
MALAYSIAN BATIK ENTREPRENEURS
Hairulnizam Hashim
CREATION OF AN ENTREPRENEURIAL LAB
Mohd Subri Tahir, Balqis
FOR EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
Mohd Shariff, Fazrul Azmi
Zulkifli , Nor Azliana Norli,
Zulkifli Saidun and Joshua
Ignatius
THE ENTREPRENEURSHIP CULTURE IN
Munawar Zaman Shahruddin
FACULTY OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING,
and Sharifah Aishah Syed
UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA, SHAH ALAM
Abdul Kadir
ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION ACTIVITIES Muhammad Hanif Abdul
& STUDENTS ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Gafar, Rabitah Harun, Mohd
INCLINATION AT UITM KEDAH.
Radzi Mohd Khir and Noor
Zahirah Mohd Sidek
GRADUATE ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM
Hardi Emrie Rosly, Junainah
IN MALAYSIA: THE TUNAS MEKAR
Junid, Jamalunlaili Abdullah,
PROGRAMME
and Nor Zaimah Ma’amin
SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP AT UNIVERSITI Noor Faizah Mohd Lajin,
TEKNOLOGI MARA : THE SIFE MODEL
Hardy Loh Rahim, and
Jamalunlaili Abdullah
BUMIPUTERA FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS: THE Ratnawate Panie, Nurul
HARDSHIPS UNVEIL
Lizzan Kamarudin and Elisa
Azura Ali
LEVEL OF EFFECTIVENESS OF THE
Margarita De Sagun
MANAGEMENT PRACTICES OF TOURISM
Tipanero,
INDUSTRY IN THE FOURTH DISTRICT OF
CAMARINES SUR
MANAGING ORGANISATION’S INTERNAL
Rabiah Adawiah Abu Seman
REPUTATION: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF
and Zulhamri Abdullah
TWO BRANCHES OF ABC COLLEGE
THE RAPID INNOVATION CYCLE—AN
Chris D. McCoy, Zubin
INNOVATION AND MARKET TESTING
Chagpar and Igor Tasic
PROCESS FOR NEW PRODUCTS AND
SERVICES DEVELOPMENT
PAGE
NUMBER
299
314
320
335
343
347
353
359
365
371
376
386
396
PAPER ID
TITLE
AUTHORS
PAGE
NUMBER
49
ENA078
THE ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTIONS OF
ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITIES IN THE
FOURTH DISTRICT OF CAMARINES SUR,
PHILIPPINES
Arabella R. Pilapil
405
50
ENA079N
THE READINESS OF GRADUATING STUDENTS
TO BECOME ENTPRENEUR: A SURVEY ON
UITM JOHOR
Roha Mohamed Noah,
Shaherah Abd Malik,
Norhayati Omar and Zurina
Omar
413
51
ENA080
Rohana Ngah, Siti Zahrah
Buyong, Rahimah Sarmidy
and Rafidah Abdul Rahman
418
52
ENA081
THE ROLE OF UNIVERSITY AND IMAGE OF
ENTREPRENEURSHIP ON
ENTREPRENEURSHIP INCLINATION OF
ENGINEERING STUDENTS
THE CHALLENGES OF GLOBALIZATION: A
STUDY ON SMALL AND MEDIUM
ENTERPRISES IN MALAYSIA
423
53
ENA082
SINGLE MOTHER ENTREPRENEURSHIP:
DIGITAL DIVIDE AND SKILLS
54
ENA083
55
ENA086
56
ENA088
Zanariah Zainal Abidin and
Azizan Abdullah
450
57
ENA089
BEAUTY TREATMENT & SPA DESIGN FROM
ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE
DETERMINANTS OF ENTREPRENEURIAL
CAREER INTENTIONS: AN INVESTIGATION ON
UNDERGRADUATE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AT
UITM PERAK
FACTORS INFLUENCING GRADUATES OF
PUBLIC INSTITUTION OF HIGHER LEARNING
TO START A BUSINESS
EXPLORATORY STUDY ON INVENTORIES
MANAGEMENT IN SMALL AND MEDIUM
ENTERPRISES IN MALAYSIA
Hardy Loh Rahim, Alya
Jaslina Suffian, Jamalunlaili
Abdullah and Noor Faizah
Mohd Lajin
Azyyati Anuar, Roha
Mohamed Noah, Firdaus
Abdul Rahman, Khairunnisa
Rahman and Daing Maruak
Sadek
Yaman R, Ishak N.M and
Alias Z
Nor Khasimah Aliman and
Hayati Abdul Jalal
Tuan Zainun Tuan Mat,
Shukriah Saad, Nor Suhailati
Abdul Manan and Marshita
Hashim
457
58
ENA091
MOTIVATIONAL FACTORS OF WOMEN
ENTREPRENEURS IN BENADIR REGION
Ali Yassin Sheikh Ali
468
59
ENA092
IDENTIFYING THE DEMOGRAPHICS DETAILS
AMONG UITM GRADUATE STUDENTS
TOWARDS ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Faizan Abd Jabar, Zuria
Akmal Saad, Zaidatulhusna
Mohd Isnani, Maisarah Ishak,,
Muhammad Zahran Abd
Rahman, Sharifah Norhuda
Syed Wahid and Halil Paino
478
430
437
444
PAPER ID
60
ENA093
61
ENA094
62
ENA095
63
ENA097
64
TITLE
THE EFFECT OF CORPORATE
ENTREPRENEURSHIP ON THE PERCEIVED
FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF ESTABLISHED
MALAYSIAN STATE GOVERNMENT-LINKED
CORPORATIONS
THE INFLUENCE OF MULTIPLE
INTELLIGENCES ON ENTREPRENEURIAL
ORIENTATION
AUTHORS
PAGE
NUMBER
Sofian Shamsuddin, Ismail
Ab.Wahab, Zainab Ahmad
and Razmi Chik
484
Abdul Kadir Othman,
Baharom Abdul Rahman,
Mohd Khirzan Badzli Abdul
Rahman, Ariff Md Abdul Malik
and Hasan Bahrom
THE MODERATING EFFECTS OF PRACTICAL,
Abdul Kadir Othman, Ahmad
EMOTIONAL AND SPIRITUAL INTELLIGENCES
Rais Mohamad Mokhtar,
ON THE LINK BETWEEN PERSONALITY TRAITS Mohd Khalid Abbas,
AND MALAY ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUCCESS
Muhammad Iskandar
Hamzah, Muhammad Izwan
bin Mohd Badrillah, Rudzi
Munap, Samsudin Wahab,
Baharom Abdul Rahman and
Saridan Abu Bakar
ROAD MAP TO SUCCESS: DEVELOPING A
Sharifah Suzana Wan
SUCCESS MODEL FOR WOMEN
Shukran, Fauziah Noordin,
ENTREPRENEURS – A CONCEPT PAPER
and Firdaus Abdullah
498
ENA098
ENTREPRENEURIAL INCLINATION OF
UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: A CASE STUDY OF
UITM KOTA BHARU CAMPUS
Nurainaa Mardhiyah
Abdullah, Fauziana Fauzi,
and Nor Sabrina Zahari
524
65
ENA099
Azlin Shafinaz Mohamad
Arshad and Amran Rasli
535
66
ENA024
Suryani Amin and Zarina
Salleh
540
67
ENA085
THE RELATIONSHIP OF LEADERSHIP STYLES
AND ENTREPRENEURIAL ORIENTATION ON
MALAYSIA TECHNOLOGY BASED SME’S
PERFORMANCE
INVESTIGATING THE EFFECT OF
GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION PROGRAMMES
ON PERFORMANCE OF COMMUNITY BASED
ENTERPRISE IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AND
ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE: A CASE IN
MALAYSIAN LOGISTICS SMEs
Sarminah Samad and Zaini
Abdullah
547
The views and opinion expressed therein are those of the individual authors and the publication of
these statements in the Proceedings of the ASEAN Entreprenuership Conference 2012 on
‘Entrepreneurship in ASEAN Countries’ do not imply endorsement by the editorial staff.
508
514
ASEAN ENTREPRENEURSHIP CONFERENCE 2012
AEC2012
Youth Entrepreneurship Success Story: The Case of Boonga Shoes
Norshiha Saidin1, Firdaus Putra Ariffin2, and Che Asniza Osman3
¹Universiti Teknologi MARA, norsh240@salam.uitm.edu.my
Boonga Art Studio, Shah Alam, Malaysia, putra@boongastudio.com
3
Universiti Teknologi MARA, asnizaosman@salam.uitm.edu.my
2
ABSTRACT
University environments are natural breeding
grounds for creativity and many Malaysian
universities and colleges have embraced
entrepreneurship. This paper highlights the success
story of a young entrepreneur, Firdaus Putra and his
venture into the world of exclusively designed
shoes. While still a TESL student at the Faculty of
Education, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah
Alam in 2008, Firdaus Putra teamed up with
another student and began a business offering
custom made shoes. Now he is the sole owner of
Boonga Art Studio, an online boutique, supplying
exclusively designed Boonga art shoes, shoes
makeover services, t-shirt printing and supplies,
opera skateboards, badges and website designs.
This case study focuses on youth entrepreneurship
in Malaysia, a relatively recent phenomenon yet
destined to become an important factor in driving
economic development and job creation. The
objective of this paper is to look at entrepreneurship
from a youth perspective in order to obtain a clearer
and more comprehensive picture of barriers and
specific constraints that impede young people from
starting and running a business, and at the same
time, of the incentives and stimuli that make
starting a business a viable alternative for youth,
highlighting the crucial factors for entrepreneurial
engagement. In order to educate the next wave of
entrepreneurs, universities must become more
entrepreneurial in our curriculum, the way we
teach, and how we operate. The vision of higher
education is to create more young entrepreneurs
who are eager to follow their dreams, take control
of their careers and make a difference in the world.
Subtheme: Youth Entrepreneurship
“A positive thought is a hundred times more
powerful than a single negative thought. This is
what makes positive thinking so powerful. If you
replace one negative thought with a positive one,
you are going to feel great things begin to take
shape. If you replace ALL your negative thoughts
… imagine the possibilities”
You can attract it Jones & Mangano (2009)
I
INTRODUCTION
Uncertainties in the global market and the current
economic crisis have spurred the prominence of
youth entrepreneurship on the agenda of many
developing countries. With
young adult
unemployment at a record high of 15.8%, more 18
to 29 year olds are starting their own business and
exploring opportunities for self- employment. (Lim
et al, 2009; Schoof, 2006)
In Malaysia the universities, government sectors,
and private corporations, have addressed issues of
entrepreneurialism in a more serious manner. This
paper focuses on the youth’s perspective of
entrepreneurship by highlighting the success story
of Firdaus Putra bin Ariffin, a young graduate of
Universiti Teknologi MARA and owner of Boonga
Studio. Secondly, the role of the university in the
development of youth entrepreneurs is discussed
and recommendations are given for a concerted
collaborative effort to educate the next wave of
entrepreneurs.
II
THE CASE OF BOONGA SHOES
Firdaus Putra started Boonga Studio, a company
producing creative and customized merchandise in
September 2008 while enrolled in his second year
of the B.Ed TESL degree at the Faculty of
Education, UiTM Shah Alam. The company
skyrocketed to success; orders grew from 0 to 40
then to 100 pairs of shoes a day in less than 6
months. The media as well as his university,
Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) discovered
him, his orders and business grew, speaking
engagements poured in. He represented UiTM at
the Inter Universities Business Competition and
bagged 1st place for the Business Plan category. In
this paper the 24 year old graduate shares his
success and challenges in starting out in the
business.
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ASEAN ENTREPRENEURSHIP CONFERENCE 2012
III THE IMPETUS TO EMBARK AS AN
ENTREPRENEUR
“Innovation is the specific instrument of
entrepreneurship. The act that endows resources
with a new capacity to create wealth . ”
Peter Drucker (1993)
This is Firdaus’s answer when asked, why did he
start Boonga shoes? “It was out of necessity, I
didn’t have much money and I wanted to have
some extra cash. Also the other important reason
was a book “Rich Dad Poor Dad”. A friend gave
me that book and I read it in one day, I was so
inspired by it. I felt I had to do something, start
something.”
Many young entrepreneurs attributed their impetus
into entrepreneurship to an external trigger factor
such as a book, movie, event or meeting a
personality. In the case of Firdaus, the push factor
was Robert Kiyosaki’s book , New York Times and
Wall Street Journal best seller ‘ Rich Dad Poor
Dad: What the rich teach their kids about money –
that the poor and middle class do not.”
Brian Wong, 20 year old CEO of kiip.me a
Vancouver based company that combines mobile
gaming with advertising attributes his venture
to: “Because of one movie, The Social Network,
the expectation is that young people now have the
potential, that there is a small chance we can
actually do something big enough to affect the
world in such a big way’. This finding maintains
the need not to underestimate the power of reading
motivational literature and coaching programs with
successful senior entrepreneurs.
Another important impetus for entrepreneurs first
highlighted by Peter Drucker (1993) is that they are
individuals who seeks change, is responsive to it
and seek opportunities to innovate, to introduce
new products or new services. Firdaus Putra saw
that many of his friends wanted to be different, to
stand out from the crowd and were willing to pay to
get that effect. That was the birth of Boonga Shoes,
a line of shoes exclusively designed for the wearer.
For Hailey Coleman, CEO of Damn Heels, the
experience of a painful night out in heels was the
motivation to create comfortable yet sexy flat
shoes.
Innovation
is
the
flipside
of
entrepreneurship, as a trait of an entrepreneur is the
ability to transform a source into a resource,
making the ordinary extraordinary.
AEC2012
IV
THE OBSTACLES AND SPECIFIC
CHALLENGES FACED BY YOUTH
ENTREPRENEURS
Firdaus Putra listed a number of specific challenges
that he faced:
 time management
 lack of support from family
 managing money and finances
 staffing problems
 lack of business knowledge
As a full time student in 2008, Firdaus was
attending classes and managing a company,
attempting to meet orders of 40-50 pairs of shoes a
day, doing t-shirt printing and button badges as well
as managing 5 full time workers in his rented
house. “After one month I was featured in the
media and that break brought in higher orders. We
were receiving orders up to 100 pairs of shoes per
day and then came in this chance to supply shoes to
Saudi Arabia”. This was a wonderful break but it
compounded his problems. “I was finding it
difficult to complete assignments and my friends
were saying that I was no longer the same cos I just
didn’t have time to hang out with them.” Firdaus
was no average student who happened to embark
into business. He was very much involved in
student activities and extracurricular events and was
the President of Ethos, the TESL student’s society
and also Head of Business Exco for MPP’s
Secretariat UiTM Shah Alam. The student leader
was finding himself overwhelmed with work and
business responsibilities.
Entirely enthusiastic by the turn of events, Firdaus
informed his family of his intention to take a
semester off to develop his company and to secure
a loan .That idea did not sit well with them and
instead he was advised to focus on his studies and
wait until he graduated. Not daunted by the lack of
support he persevered though admitted he was not
able to develop the company as planned.
Rod McNaughton, director of the University of
Waterloo’s Conrad Centre, says such a reaction is
pretty normal. Even parents who are business
owners themselves would encourage their children
to study hard and get good grades and then later
find a high paying job with great benefits. He says
“Going home and saying you want to be an
entrepreneur was like going home and saying you
want to become a musician.” Such belief albeit
traditional is still the prevailing view of most
parents. (Kiyosaki, 2001) Such mantras ‘Stay in
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ASEAN ENTREPRENEURSHIP CONFERENCE 2012
school and study hard’ and “stick with one
company or work for the government and they will
take care of you and your needs’ is the advice given
by most parents. It is very rare to come across
parents who are supportive of young adults fresh
out of school or still in college yet desirous to be a
self employed entrepreneur.
In 2009, Firdaus was invited to represent the
university for an Inter Universities Business
Competition in particularly on his entrepreneurial
venture business plan. “There isn’t any business
plan” was his first sentence uttered. The facilitator
was not taken aback with his answer, as this is a
common scenario where many novice youth
entrepreneurs make enthusiastic attempts to
promote ideas but ignore to entail the formulation
of goals and directions. Besides reading
motivational and business management books
Firdaus was never exposed to any entrepreneurship
or business training.
Kuratko & Hodgets (2007), “The comprehensive
business plan, is a major tool for determining the
essential operation of a venture. It is also the
primary document for managing the venture. One
of the major benefits of this plan is it helps the
enterprise avoid common pitfalls that often undo all
previous efforts”. Some may disagree and say,
nothing will go as planned. Thus, it is also
important for an entrepreneur to be able to plan for
the worst-case scenario and maneuver around
unforeseen circumstances in order to achieve their
expected goals.
IV
INCENTIVES AND STIMULI THAT
MAKES STARTING A BUSINESS A
VIABLE ALTERNATIVE FOR
YOUTH
A. Youth Success Stories
The growing numbers of young entrepreneurs
becoming the CEO of companies is not uncommon
news. Seniority and experience is not a compulsory
prerequisite for success but hard work and
innovation is. It began with Mark Zuckerberg of
Facebook, and then came Drew Houston of Drop
Box. Malaysia has Joel Neoh, youth entrepreneur
who at 20 owned a million ringgit business venture,
also the co founder of Youth Asia, a group of award
winning internet companies. Joel is currently the
CEO of Groupon Malaysia and Co-CEO of
Groupon Taiwan.
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B. Flattening of the World
The ‘flattening ‘of the world which was brought on
by technological advances and globalization has
changed the business scene. Flattening of the world
is a concept introduced by Thomas L. Friedman
(2006) which refers to the convergence of
technological and political forces , which has
‘produced a global, Web-enabled playing field that
allows for multiple forms of collaboration without
regard to geography or distance - or soon, even
language.” This flattening of the playing field is a
distinct advantage to young entrepreneurs.
C. Low opportunity costs and low capital
investment
Firdaus Putra started with hardly any capital. What
he had was fierce determination, loads of creativity,
a good command of both English and Bahasa
Melayu and a good understanding of how to use
technology including blogging,
e mail and
teleconferencing
to advertise , market and
collaborate with companies and communities . He
is a perfect example of the Gen Y, digital natives
with instinctive insights and flair to find profitable
niches in the rapidly growing world of mobile,
Internet and social media innovation. (Lee et al,
2009)
Another common factor among the youth startups is
the low opportunity costs and low capital
investment. (Schoof, 2006) As Firdaus puts it “I
started with very little money. I sold the shoes and
make new ones from the profit. And the production
was done in my rented house” As the saying goes
“A man who has nothing to lose has nothing to
fear.” and therefore is a formidable enemy.
V. THE ROLE OF THE UNIVERSITY IN
DEVELOPING YOUTH
ENTREPRENEURS
Firdaus Putra was asked to comment on how the
university curriculum and instruction helped him
towards developing entrepreneurial skills. He
declared that the strong language base he received
as a TESL student was an advantage as good
communication and public speaking skills helped
him during business presentations and negotiation.
With a MUET score of Band 5, Firdaus single
handedly writes all the promotional literature for
his website as well as conduct training and
motivational talks at schools and colleges. Courses
such as Professional Development, he says
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ASEAN ENTREPRENEURSHIP CONFERENCE 2012
imparted skills of managing people and group
dynamics.
Secondly, he commended the extracurricular
activities and voluntary work at UiTM, which
developed leadership and made him a wellrounded, personable and well adjusted individual.
Firdaus Putra was involved in various activities of
campus life ranging from community outreach
programs with schools, theatre production with
Ethos, and held various posts in the University
student body at campus and university level. This
active lifestyle began at secondary school with
participation in sports such as softball and
skateboarding. Firdaus Putra founded the 1st
Extreme Games Club in Malaysian & Pahang
schools in 2004. Evidently this active lifestyle
encouraged the development of entrepreneurial
characteristics such as risk taking, critical thinking,
self motivated and innovative. (Gorman et. al.1997)
A.
MASMED in Supporting the Role of the
University
UiTM with Malaysia Academy of SME &
Entrepreneurship
Development
(MASMED)
undertakes the important role of cultivating
entrepreneurship
among
students.
Besides
organizing in-house students’ entrepreneurship
activities,
MASMED
also
organizes
entrepreneurship programs in conjunction with
Ministry of Higher Education. One such
programme that is designed to expose students with
basic
entrepreneurship
is
Kursus
Asas
Keusahawanan Siswa (KAKS)/Graduates Basic
Entrepreneurship Course.
Firdaus attended KAKS a year after starting his
company . “KAKS was interesting coz I get to
meet young people who share the same interest as
me. We share ideas, exchange knowledge and
create good networking until now. However, I was
already in the biz and I was looking forward to
courses which can help me manage my current
business instead”. When asked what he had
practiced following to the course attended, he
replied, “The business plan. The experiences shared
by the entrepreneurs’. KAKS is more suitable for
students who have little or no experience but less
useful for someone already in the business.
However, KAKS has since been phased out and
replaced by a new short term entrepreneurship
module named Lab Minda Keushawanan (LMK).
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VI
SUGGESTIONS
Based on this success story, several suggestions are
presented to support universities to become more
entrepreneurial in its curriculum.
 Characteristics
associated
with
entrepreneurship is naturally developed via
participation in extracurricular activities,
sports and voluntary work. The university
should support such activities in campus
life and acknowledge its importance in the
holistic development of the individual.
 Learning styles that include active
experimentation, simulations, problem
based learning balanced with concrete
experience
enhance
entrepreneurial
inclination. (Gorman et al.;1997) Solid
learning theory must be complemented with
practice and interactive learning styles.
 Entrepreneurship education and financial
education modules should be offered to all
students regardless of discipline of study in
order to prepare them better for the world
of work.
 Skill-building components such as
communication skills, negotiation, and
public speaking must remain as core
components of study and should be
rejuvenated with innovative and creative
methods of teaching.
 Regular dialogues and mentoring sessions
by successful and inspiring entrepreneurs
should be introduced in the university
calendar.
 Students
should
be
exposed
to
technological innovation and new product
development.
VII
CONCLUSION
Successful entrepreneurs brings about multiple
benefits for himself and others. Sucessful
business entrepreneurs are potential social
entrepreneurs. Just as they have embraced and
transformed whole industries, as social
entrepreneurs these young men and women
become change agents by improving systems,
disseminating new and sustainable approaches
to create social value. A dynamic and positive
university
environment
that
appreciates
creativity and innovation can create more young
entrepreneurs who are eager to follow their
dreams, take control of their careers and make a
difference in the world .
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ASEAN ENTREPRENEURSHIP CONFERENCE 2012
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