Entrepreneurship and Market Orientation: Mindset of Indigenous Community

Abstract

Wen Mina Hipere is a new method of agriculture, in this case, of farming sweet potatoes, modified by adding the cultivation of freshwater fish in the trench of the potato garden, practiced in several Dani tribe villages of Jayawijaya, one of Indonesia’s regencies in West Papua. Training of these farmers, in entrepreneurship and market orientation is expected to create innovation and to motivate farmers with the entrepreneurial spirit. The research, therefore, aims to evaluate the changes to the mindset of Wen Mina Hipere farmers at pre-and post-training in entrepreneurship and market orientation.  Fifty farmers in Wogi village, who have been engaged in the Wen Mina Hipere farming system, have been subject to research following their training in entrepreneurship and market orientation. The results show that the dominant change occurs in the growth of confidence in entrepreneurship, whereas they developed to a higher degree their sense of competition in the market orientation part of the training. In preserving this local wisdom, the related departments need to give intensive technical assistance, training and coaching to improve farmers’ self-confidence, provide financial assistance and distribution channels for farmers to continue to perform within their traditional farming system.

Keywords: entrepreneurship; market orientation; Wen Mina Hipere; indigenous community.

DOI: 10.7176/JMCR/57-02

Publication date:June 30^th 2019