Chinese entrepreneurship in Indonesia: A business demography approach
Date
2022
Authors
van der Eng, Pierre
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Routledge
Abstract
This article analyses the demography of 1,600 registered firms owned and/or operated by ethnic Chinese businessmen in Indonesia during 1890–1940 in search of generalisable indications of Schumpeterian entrepreneurship. The population of firms increased significantly from 1890, before many went out of business in the 1920s and a new gen-eration of firms and entrepreneurs emerged. By 1910 most firms were active in trade, but this categorisation takes insufficient account of their diverse business activities. During 1910–1940 the share of firms in other industries increased. Several were active in finance, taking deposits and financing business ventures. In the 1930s, the average equity value of the enterprises more than doubled, reflecting diversification into more capital-intensive operations, particularly manufacturing. These changes in the population of firms refute the perception that ethnic Chinese businessmen were not Schumpeterian entrepreneurs
Description
Keywords
Business demography, entrepreneurship, Chinese, Indonesia, Southeast Asia
Citation
Collections
Source
Business History
Type
Journal article
Book Title
Entity type
Access Statement
License Rights
Restricted until
2099-12-31