Title: How do island entrepreneurs survive and thrive?

Authors: Muslim El Hakim Kurniawan; Gatot Yudoko; Mursyid Hasan Basri

Addresses: School of Business and Management, Bandung Institute of Technology, Jalan Ganesha 10, Bandung, 40132, Indonesia ' School of Business and Management, Bandung Institute of Technology, Jalan Ganesha 10, Bandung, 40132, Indonesia ' School of Business and Management, Bandung Institute of Technology, Jalan Ganesha 10, Bandung, 40132, Indonesia

Abstract: How to become a successful entrepreneur? Of course, there are various answers to this question, especially if the faced challenges are not equal. The island entrepreneurs do not only face day to day deficiencies, but also to some extent, 'comparative disadvantage'. This paper aims to find a source of competitiveness that makes island entrepreneurs able to survive amid all challenges they faced. A case study with an in-depth interview is performed in the successful marine food processing industries in Kepulauan Bangka Belitung Province. As a result, there are 14 'have-to-do-things' for the island entrepreneurs that are expected to become the incentive for SMIs and the government in the effort to develop the SMIs in the island. As a theoretical contribution, we have found that island entrepreneurs do not take into account research and development on their progress. Therefore, identifying understanding knowledge management practices in island entrepreneur can be promising for future research.

Keywords: island; entrepreneur; small-medium industries; SMIs; government; competitive advantage.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPSPM.2021.118687

International Journal of Public Sector Performance Management, 2021 Vol.8 No.4, pp.305 - 331

Received: 09 Mar 2019
Accepted: 14 Jul 2019
Published online: 03 Nov 2021 *

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