1.2 ENTREPRENEUR AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Generally, up till now, we have yet to find a universal definition that can be adopted, with regard to the words; entrepreneur and entrepreneurship (Hsrich et al. 2005; Kuratko 2009; Frederick et al. 2013; Norasmah 2013). The definitions of these two terms has always been debated among researchers, educators and decision-makers, ever since they were introduced in the early 1700.

Who is an Entrepreneur?

The word entrepreneur originates from the French word entreprende which mean between-takers or go-between; one who is willing to take on or try something (Mohd Salleh et al. 2005). In 1725, the word entreprende is used by Richards Cantillon, an economist and the term are clearly associated with business activities. According to Richard Cantillon, an entrepreneur is someone who is willing to take on a task, or to try something. In other word, entrepreneurs are risk takers. Apart from that, according to the ‘Kamus Dewam’ (2005), the term entrepreneur comes from the Malay word, ‘usaha’. The word is related to the characteristics to the effort to achieve something. Entrepreneurs are also defining as a person who undertakes an enterprise.

Basically, there have been many definitions of entrepreneur. Table 1.1 summarizes the development of the definitions of an entrepreneur.

Source	Definition
Early Stage	Entrepreneurs are known as merchants.
Mid Stage	Individuals who managed large-scale projects.
17th Century	Entrepreneurs are individuals who take the risk of profit or loss as a result of a contact with the government at a fixed price.
Richard Cantillon (1725)	Entrepreneurs are risk-takers and they are different from a person who provides capital.
Adam Smith (1776)	Individuals who formed the organization for commercial purposes, able to envision and seek the potential demand for products and services.
Jean Baptise Say (1803)	Distinguished by individuals who need money and individuals who have money.
Mill (1804)	Risk-taker individuals.
Richard Dan Ralph (1873)	Individuals who plan, organize and operate the profit as well as unpredictable risks of the company/
Francis Walker (1876)	Individuals who benefits from the ability to manage and is different from the individuals who provide the capital and receive the benefits.
Joseph Schumpeter (1934)	Individuals who always introduce new things and develop unexplored technology.
Sutton (1954)	Demanding responsibilities.
David McClelland (1961)	Individuals who are able to endure risks, assertive, energetic, responsible, intelligent in decision making, able to envisions the future and have organizational skills.
Davids (1963)	Have goals, responsibility and self-confidence.
Pickle (1963)	Individuals who make efforts to improve adherence, possess communication skills and high technical knowledge.
Peter Drucker (1964)	individuals who can maximize the opportunities.
Albert Shapero (1975)	An initiative person, a person who is organized or able to organize economic mechanisms’ in order to change the source and situation to be more practical and able to withhold the risks/
Kirzner (1979)	Individuals who are always attentive to business opportunities that others do not perceive and will take action in imaginative, creative and innovative way.
Kal Vesper (1980)	A person who thinks differently than economists, psychologists, businessmen and politicians.
Hull, Boley & Udel (1980)	Individuals who purchase or inherit a business with the intention of expanding it continuously.
Meredith, Nelson & Neck (1982)	Individuals who are able to see and evaluate business opportunities, with the needed resources in order to take advantage of opportunities and apply appropriate actions to ensure success.
Yep (1989)	An independent individual who works and acts independently to create or produce goods or services that are useful to the public, by managing nand administering labor force, business capital and natural amenities that exist around them. They become the prime mover of the work and adapt to the risks.
MEDEC (1990)	A person who is associated with the beginning of a promising business profits. A group of individuals who is able to establish or continue to lead and develop their own business for the greater good of the society and achieve God’s blessing.
Kets de Vries (1996)	A risk maker, using others’ capital which is different than a risk taker.
Barjoyai Bardai (2000)	Open-minded individuals in business and always look for opportunities. They have privileges that allow them to create investment opportunities and identify projects that are beneficial.
Scarborough & Zimmer (2000)	A person who is able to establish a new business by identifying opportunities, gather and use resources, willing to take risks and face the uncertainties in achieving profit and business development.
Bolton & Thompson (2004)	Individuals who are able to create or innovate something worthy, when provided with the right opportunity and environment.
Donald Kuratjo & Richard Hogetts (2004)	A person who manages, operates, is able to take risks and recognizes the opportunities where others do not and foresee the difficulties.
Zaidatol Akmaliah (2007)	Individuals who start and manage a business with a risk and uncertainty to gain profits and develop the outcomes by identifying business opportunities.
Rosli et al. (2010)	An individual who develop a business successfully with the goal to gain profits and at the same time, practices strategic instruments to continue being successful.
Howard Frederick, Allan O’ Conner & Donald Kuratko (2013)	Individuals who create innovation in a business or community in which they can identify and seize opportunities; convert opportunities into marketable ideas; adding value through time, effort, money, or skill; take risks in the competitive market to implement these ideas; and recognize or accept the rewards from these efforts.

Source: Norasmah et al. (2006); Rosli et al. (2010); Salmah (2009); Frederick et al. (2013); Armanurah (2014)

Based on the above explanations, it appears that there is no standard definition of an entrepreneur. Every researcher has his or her own understanding of the term and if all points are refined, an entrepreneur, can be deduced as someone who seizes opportunities, take risks, accepts responsibilities, and is an innovative or creative inventor. However, it is not an easy task to give a solid definition of an entrepreneur. In fact, according to Chell (2001), up till now, there is no specific definition that is agreed to be used by all.

What is Entrepreneurship?

Definition of entrepreneurship also varies, in the same way as the definition of an entrepreneur. In a narrow definition, entrepreneurship is a process of exploration of ideas in which they are converted into products or services, and the building of the efforts to bringing a product or services, and the building of the efforts to bringing a product or service to the market (Johnson 2001). Entrepreneurship also means a process that carries new combinations, such as new products, new sources of raw materials; new combinations, such as new products, new sources of raw materials; new production methods and new organizational forms (Shumpeter 1934). On the other hand, Shapero (1982) views entrepreneurship as an agreement that considers behaviors such as initiative, organizing social and economic mechanisms to convert resources and situations to practical actions and acceptance of the risk of fail. However, Kuratko (2009) and Mohd Salleh (2005) view entrepreneurship as more towards the process of business invention. According to Kuratko (2009), this is due to the characteristics of entrepreneurship such as; seeking opportunities, taking uncertain risks and the tendency to turn an idea into a reality. Furthermore, entrepreneurship is a process that allows a person to run the business in innovative ways. Entrepreneurship I often associated with attitude, values, knowledge and skills that make a person capable and efficient in searching, identifying, seizing the opportunity and converting business strategies and efforts to gain profits (Barjoyai 2000).