The Profile of an Entrepreneur in a Modern Society

Abstract

The main purpose of this paper is to highlight the importance of the entrepreneurship, to identify the characteristics of an entrepreneur and also to identify the main types of entrepreneurs. The base of this research was the management literature that presents a variety of definitions, traits and typologies of entrepreneurs. The entrepreneurship is a science that over the years has fascinated many researchers and led them to devote a good part of their time in discovery and deepening this area. Also, this field is a science, an art and a practical activity that has as a main actor the entrepreneur and that has a fundamental role for the entire society. The importance of the entrepreneurship and of the entrepreneur for the economic development, but also for the general progress of society requires the identification of the entrepreneurs' features. The entrepreneur represents the main actor of the entrepreneurship and an important determinant for progress. Considerating the result of this research, there was concluded that because of the fact that each entrepreneur is unique there isn't a general profile of the case, and also were identified the main characteristics of the entrepreneurs and the main typologies of those actors. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

Headnote

Abstract

The main purpose of this paper is to highlight the importance of the entrepreneurship, to identify the characteristics of an entrepreneur and also to identify the main types of entrepreneurs.

The base of this research was the management literature that presents a variety of definitions, traits and typologies of entrepreneurs.

The entrepreneurship is a science that over the years has fascinated many researchers and led them to devote a good part of their time in discovery and deepening this area. Also, this field is a science, an art and a practical activity that has as a main actor the entrepreneur and that has a fundamental role for the entire society.

The importance of the entrepreneurship and of the entrepreneur for the economic development, but also for the general progress of society requires the identification of the entrepreneurs' features.

The entrepreneur represents the main actor of the entrepreneurship and an important determinant for progress.

Considerating the result of this research, there was concluded that because of the fact that each entrepreneur is unique there isn't a general profile of the case, and also were identified the main characteristics of the entrepreneurs and the main typologies of those actors.

Keywords: entrepreneurship, entrepreneur, characteristics, entrepreneur profile, typologies

JEL Classification: M13, L26

Introduction

Nowadays, the entrepreneurship has a very important role not only for the economic development, but also for the general progress of the society, for the general progress of any country.

The entrepreneurship represents more than a science, a field of study, an art, a practical activity, or some innate qualities or some special talents, the entrepreneurship involves a sum of qualities or rather a sum of innate abilities (intelligence, ambition, selfconfidence, independence, charisma, creativity, desire to succeed, desire to be the best and the ability to prove it, seriousness, team spirit and others) and it is the force that causes the progress.

The entrepreneur represents the main character of the entrepreneurship and an important factor of development.

The importance of the entrepreneurship and of the entrepreneur for the economic development, but also for the general progress of society requires the identification of the entrepreneurs' features.

The management literature abounds in definitions, traits and typologies of entrepreneurs that support the importance of the entrepreneurs.

Although until now, the scientists failed to agree about a general profile of a successful entrepreneur it can be said that among its features are qualities such as: intelligence, desire to succeed, creativity, independence, optimism, self-confidence, ambition, inclination toward risks.

The identification of the main features of the entrepreneurs and of the typologies of the case contributes to a better understanding and even to an improvement of the entrepreneur's behavior.

1. The profile of an entrepreneur in a modern society

1.1. The profile of an entrepreneur

The profile of a successful entrepreneur represents another object of study for specialists, but it can be said that scientists have not reached a consensus on outlining a general valid profile of this character because as each person is unique in this universe with its qualities and defects, so each entrepreneur is unique and contributes less or more to the development of economy, to the general progress of society.

The fact that no entrepreneur has no identical traits with another it is primarily due to the influence of environmental factors. In this sense, it can be said that there are a number of factors that may influence the entrepreneurial behavior, as for example: the family, the school, the experience, the vocational training.

Although there are many studies in this field, until now the scientists failed to agree about a general profile of a successful entrepreneur.

Despite the fact that each entrepreneur is unique, it can be said that the entrepreneurs have some common traits such as: intelligence, independence, high motivation, energy, power to initiate and to lead the business, preference for innovation, creativity, desire to succeed, desire to achieve performance, originality, optimism, selfconfidence, determination, ambition, inclination toward risks, perseverance, sociability, sense of action, leadership and management skills.

Another important trait for an entrepreneur is the vocation. The importance of vocation is also claim by authors as D. Popescu [Popescu Delia, 2005: 61-62] who presents the following personality's characteristics and abilities that are reflecting the vocation: the energy, the power to initiate and to lead the business, the mental abilities (those are materialized in: intelligence, capacity of analysis and synthesis, creative thinking), specialized technical knowledge (such as: management, marketing, financialaccounting knowledge), communication skills (which are embodied in the following abilities: the ability to transmit oral and written messages, the ability to overcome the communication barriers and to establish a climate of confidence), abilities regarding human resources (those are abilities that requires the capacity to establish good interpersonal relations, sociability, tact, and others abilities like those), the decisional capacity (that requires to identify multiple solutions for each problem, to determine the decision's alternatives, to choose the optimal solution and to apply its corresponding decision. The decisional capacity supposes consistency, decision, clarity).

Regarding the entrepreneur's profile, D. Popescu [Popescu Delia, 2001: 176] identified a number of possible strengths and weaknesses of the subject. So, in the category of strengths are a number of traits and qualities such as: rigorous planning time, the unfulfilment of subordinates tasks, the implementation of a procedure for regular monitoring, fairness with the employees, training and retention of some permanent employees, the collection of information on customers' needs, maintaining good relationships with collaborators, risk taking, maintaining close relationships with family and friends and in the category of possible weaknesses can be mentioned: not ensuring the employees participation in some decision making, the lack of decentralization of those decisions, the limitation of the employees' freedom of decision, the lack of encouragement of employees initiative, low attention to human problems, the lack of periodically identification of all needs of information, failure in perception of the development need of the company in conjunction with the aspirations of employees, the lack of collective planning, the lack of extra-professional activities.

Also, about the entrepreneur's profile, A.D. Tantau [Tantau Adrian Dumitru, 2011: 14] claims that the typical entrepreneur is very ambitious. He must execute quickly, better and with less effort a specific thing. Permanently, he is in search of new situations from which he proves personal performance in competitive relationship with other actors. Also, Tantau [Tantau Adrian Dumitru, 2011: 16] claims that the most important trait of entrepreneurs is the innovation, so he says that "the innovative spirit remains the defining feature of entrepreneurs", and Druker [Drucker F. Peter, 2010: 128] mentions that "the entrepreneurs knows the vocation of their innovation, and if someone discover another destination, they tend to reject it. Probably, they are not going to refuse to serve the customers who don't fall in their plans, but it is possible to give them to understand that they aren't welcome. "

Another author, Gerber [Gerber Michael, 2003: 15] realizes a poetic portrait with heroic resonance of the entrepreneur: "the typical entrepreneur profile and the Hercule's work joints always in your mind: a man or a woman facing the weather alone, bravely defying the insurmountable difficulties, swarming up the vertical walls of the treacherous cliffs- all those in order to create its own business."

1.2. The main types of entrepreneurs

The characteristics of each entrepreneur, the fact that although all entrepreneurs have a number of common traits, but theoretically and practically, they aren't identical, led to the study of the typologies of entrepreneurs.

For example, authors as S. Vaduva [Vaduva Sebastian, 2004: 75] and A.D. Tantau [Tantau Adrian Dumitru, 2011: 9] believe that there are three main distinct types of entrepreneurs: the creators (are those who start new businesses with the dream of creating a new product or service), the heirs (members of this group inherit a business or they get into the business through a family connection) and the administrators (are those who purchase a business or a franchise).

In order to perform a more detailed characterization of the three types of contemporary entrepreneurs, S. Vaduva [Vaduva Sebastian, 2004: 75-79] added to the above mentioned profile of entrepreneurs the following characteristics:

- the creators are motivated by the vision of a new product or service, they use their skills and contribute to society. Being fully satisfied with the business they run, the creators think that they are real entrepreneurs. They are not motivated by financial rewards and because of their belief in their vision; they don't consider that their work involves high risks;

- the heirs usually are less growth-oriented and less committed to contribute to society;

- the administrators are motivated by aspects such as: the financial goals, the lack of other opinions or by the desire to buy an existing business or to implement a franchise with a already tested as a means of minimizing the risk. These entrepreneurs are strongly inclined to growth, are satisfied with their business and they think that are real entrepreneurs. Generally, their primary objective isn't to contribute to society or to create a new product.

Conclusions

As a conclusion it can be said that although many scientists tried to create a general valid profile for the successful entrepreneur, this profile could not be done and probably will not ever realize because each entrepreneur is unique. And also, it can be said that each entrepreneur is unique, each entrepreneur has its own strengths and weakness and because of their abilities they contributes more or less to the increase of the company's profit, to the economic development.

Due to the activities that the entrepreneurs perform them: create jobs, promote the innovation, contributes to GDP growth, and contributes to competitiveness growth, to the economic development and to the general progress of society.

References

References

Drucker, F. P. (2010) The Essential Drucker: selecþie din lucãrile de management ale lui Peter F. Drucker, Bucharest: Meteor Press;

Gerber, M. (2003) Mitul Întreprinzãtorului, Bucharest: Amaltea;

Popescu, D. (2001) Competitivitatea Întreprinderilor mici si mijlocii, Bucharest: Economicã;

Popescu, D. (2005) Întreprinzãtorul de succes: repere teoretice si pragmatice, Bucharest: Economicã;

Tanþãu, A.D. (2011) Entrepreneurship- Gândeste inovator si pragmatic, Bucharest: C.H. Beck;

Vãduva, S. (2004) Antreprenoriatul - Elemente fundamentale globale, Bucharest: Economicã.