Rahmatiah,

Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Science, Universitas Negeri Gorontalo, Indonesia

E-mail: rahmatiah@ung.ac.id

Business continuity, motivation, and social conditions of young entrepreneurs

Dondick W. Wiroto,

Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Science, Universitas Negeri Gorontalo, Indonesia

E-mail: dondickwiroto@ung.ac.id

Hapsawati Taan,

Department of  Marketing Management, Faculty of Economics, Universitas Negeri Gorontalo, Indonesia

E-mail: hapsawatitaan@ung.ac.id

Abstract. The insignificant amount of Indonesian youths engaging in entrepreneurship has led to the assumption that it is difficult for youths to become entrepreneurs for their lack of capacity to create and innovate, and also their lack of courage to take risks. As a result, there is nearly no study on the capacity of young Indonesian entrepreneurs in maintaining their business continuity. This qualitative research, thus, aims to explore – by using the narrative method – the experiences of six young entrepreneurs in Indonesia when they were in a condition to decide to become an entrepreneur, and the conditions of running a business, with the purpose of understanding the context in which the youths opt to maintain business continuity. The study results indicate that despite being committed to themselves, their businesses, and their social capital, the youths’ motivation to maintain their business continuity varies. More dynamic social conditions and more social relations result in more successful business continuity for it is driven by more superior motivation of young entrepreneurs; conversely, if social conditions are merely formed by internal conditions and fewer social relations, then youths’ motivation to continue their business is low.

Received: December, 2018

1st Revision: September, 2019

Accepted: December, 2019

DOI: 10.14254/2071-789X.2019/12-4/10

JEL Classification: L26, M13

Keywords: young entrepreneurs, business continuity, commitment, motivation, morphogenetic, social conditions, Indonesia