The financial crisis in 2009 shook many countries around the world. The crisis has forced businessmen to adapt to the situation. Some of the traditional business organizations that focus on profit maximization began to be out of demand. Big corporations even failed to survive amid the financial crisis at that time. "However, Indonesia with majority of the economy running in small and medium industrial sectors, was not much affected by the financial crisis," Putri Paramita Agritansia, S.E said in a weekly seminar at the Center for World Trade Studies Universitas Gadjah Mada, Friday (6/5).
According to Putri, business actors in Indonesia who have very strong entrepreneurship spirit can survive amid the world financial crisis. In addition, Indonesia's economic growth at that time experienced movement over a large volume of public consumption. With the entrepreneurship spirit of small and medium industries leaders in Indonesia, as well as other parts of the world, there will be freedom to create, and separated from the restraints of political and economic interests of policy makers.
Seeing this development, it is not wrong if many educational institutions, research, and development began to pay great attention to the issue of entrepreneurship. "This is seen as new solution to the challenges in economy and trade, especially in Indonesia which has a population of nearly 235 million people," she said.
Company such as Ernst and Young gives special concerns by giving awards to outstanding entrepreneurs in Indonesia each year. The award serves as Ernst and Young's commitment to contribute to promote entrepreneurship-based business activities in Indonesia.
Delivering a paper entitled World Trade in the Context of Social Entrepreneurship, Putri said that the growing issue of 'for common welfare' also makes the definition of entrepreneurship experience evolution. Entrepreneurship is no longer defined as making a fortune by exploiting the courage of doing business, adapting, and reading something about business opportunities, but to give benefit for community and surrounding areas. "Now, it is slowly and surely towards the form of social-minded businesses. It is a kind of business that starts with noble objectives for mutual progress and prosperity. In Indonesia, the form of business is cooperative," she explained.