Work Ethos and Religion Implementation in Supporting Business
Existence in Metal Craftsmen in Cepogo Village of Boyolali Indonesia
Susi Ningsih
1
, Bagus Haryono
2
and Argyo Demartoto
2
1
Master of Sociology Study Program, Sebelas Maret University, Surakarta
2
Department of Sociology, Sebelas Maret University, Surakarta
Keywords: Religion, Business Existence, Work Ethos, Metal Craftsmen
Abstract: The profession of metal craftsmen is a job sent down from one to the next generation in Boyolali
community. Metal craftsmen experiences fluctuating business cycle. However, bad times or problematic
financial condition does not stop craftsmen from running their business. They work harder to improve their
business in order to survive and to develop business to be better. In doing the job as metal craftsmen, work
ethos is required to support business successfulness. The unit of analysis in this study was metal craftsmen
implementing religion in running their business selected using purposive sampling technique. Techniques of
collecting data used were observation, in-depth interview and documentation. Data validation was carried
out using source triangulation. Data analysis was carried out using an interactive model. The theories
employed in this study were The Protestant Ethic and The Spirit of Capitalism. The result of research
showed that metal craftsmen existing in Boyolali have work ethos and religion implementation to support
their business successfulness. Work ethos applied by craftsmen included honesty, timeliness in product
ordering by consumers, persistence in producing work, loyalty to consumers. Loyalty means that when
consumers bring their own design to product or customized product, the design would not be given to other
consumers. This metal craft was known as hand made, therefore it has the unique shapes. In running their
business, metal craftsmen have a great spirit and work hard for the sake of business successfulness. This
spirit builds on religion implementation. Metal craftsmen believed that when they run business, they should
also implement religion tenet. Religion implementation conducted by metal craftsmen included establishing
Islamic boarding school, elementary school, conducting pilgrimage (umroh), and giving contribution
(sedekah) to orphanage. Through implementing religion tenet, the metal craftsmen believed that business
successfulness and existence will be realized.
1 INTRODUCTION
The Ministry of Industry continuously encourages
national creative industry development, the growth
is increasing by 7% per year. The Ministry of
Industry reveals that the added value deriving from
creative economic sector is estimated to reach IDR
111.1 trillions during 2014-2015. The sub sector
contributing highest added value is craft one with
export growth rate of 11.81 percent (Ministry of
Industry, 2015).
The existing handicraft in Indonesian community
brings a great benefits to the community
development. The presence of handicraft can
develop natural resource and human resource. To
produce an art work, in this case handicraft, the
required skill is acquired hereditarily from family.
In running their business, craftspersons
experience fluctuation. Business’ progress is
determined by good work ethos and religion
implementation to support the business. When
business is in difficult period, high spirit and
awareness of reconstructing the business are
required. To maintain business stability,
craftspersons apply work ethos and implement
religion to support their business. It is conducted by
craftspersons in Cepogo Village, Boyolali.
Metal handicraft business existing in Boyolali is
an art sent down hereditarily since Mataram
Kingdom period. Until today, copper handicraft is
occupied with by Tumang Hamlet people and even
now develops rapidly using not only copper but also
aluminum, brass, and iron materials. Similarly,
viewed from craft product, the former production of
786
Ningsih, S., Haryono, B. and Demartoto, A.
Work Ethos and Religion Implementation in Supporting Business Existence in Metal Craftsmen in Cepogo Village of Boyolali Indonesia.
DOI: 10.5220/0007551407860789
In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference Postgraduate School (ICPS 2018), pages 786-789
ISBN: 978-989-758-348-3
Copyright
c
2018 by SCITEPRESS Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved
kitchen appliances has recently developed into the
more modern by producing calligraphy, lamp,
bathtub, waste basket and etc.
More rapid business development builds on work
ethos and religion implementation by craftsperson.
Religion implementation conducted by craftsperson
is related to Republic of Indonesia’s state
foundation, Pancasila, particularly the first principle,
Belief in the divinity of God, (in Indonesian,
Ketuhanan Yang Maha Esa).
The religion values held on by craftspersons are
related to the first principle of Pancasila, Belief in
the divinity of God. This value represents
Indonesian nation as a religious and tolerant one
(Santoso, 2005).
Islamic Work Ethics (IWE) are relatively high.
This can be interpreted that employees in the
institutions under study strongly adhere to IWE. The
overall mean of the job satisfaction is above the mid-
point (Rokhman, 2010).
Work ethos highly affects an individual’s work
spirit. Thus, work ethos can generate a spirit to
pursue career performance. A good work ethos of
metal craftspersons leads the metal business to be
more advanced.
Ethos is defined as attitude, personality,
character, and belief an individual or a community
has, composed of various habits, cultural influence
and value system believed in. Ethics is different
from ethos, as ethics essentially occupies cognitive
aspect of human life (Tasmara, 2008).
The ethos or character is the personal way of
being self acquired in the daily exercise of freedom
““For Aristotle, human development requires
initiation into a culture in which qualities of
personhood and character are recognized and
practiced. It is important to note that all these
processes cannot be reduced to mere socialization
(McLaughlin,2005).
Bringing spirit into workplace has been a priority
for many business organizations to support their
sustainable success. Spirit in workplace is about
care, affection, integrity, and attempting to
implement an individual’s values in workplace. That
is individual and organization seeing job as an
opportunity of growing and contributing to society
meaningfully (Srirangarajan,2011).
Work ethos that can improve business advance
has made metal crafts well-known at global level.
This metal craft’s fame is inseparable from the
craftspersons’ hard work to create unique good and
acceptable works to all people.
Work ethos of the craftspersons have builds on
religion experience making the craftspersons the
successful business performers and enabling them to
get up again when their business is in difficult
period. Religion becomes a factor supporting
business the craftspersons preoccupied with to
survive until today. Religion gives the craftspersons
the high working spirit.
Their behavior becomes more cooperative
towards co-religionists and may or may not become
more hostile towards outsiders adherence is a club
good (Berman & Laitin, 2008).
Sadaqah (voluntary charity) is a glorious activity
in Islam. It is considered to be a symbol of one’s
Iman (faith).The importance of Sadaqah has been
narrated both in the holy Qur’an and in the Hadith.
Thus, the Muslims always try to give aids to the
needy people (Kausar, 2018).
The conducted religion implementation is the
one taught by Islam religion, because all
craftsperson communities are Muslims. Values that
can be the spirit in work ethos were sedekah (alms)
and sharing with fellow human beings. People
should have been able to apply values contained in
the religion for successful business purpose. This
research aims to find out work ethos and religion
implementation as the business existence among
craftspersons in Cepogo.
2 METHODS
This qualitative research was taken place in Cepogo
Village, Boyolali using case study approach (Yin,
2014). The author preferred using descriptive case
study strategy considered as capable of explaining
better the phenomenon of work ethos and religion
implementation as business existence in metal
craftsperson in Cepogo Village, Boyolali, Indonesia.
This study was conducted from February to March
2018. This research employed purposive sampling
by selecting metal industry performers applying
religion implementation in running their business
and having good work ethos. Techniques of
collecting data used were observation, interview,
and documentation. Documentation source derived
from village archive and photograph. Data validation
was carried out using source triangulation and data
analysis using an interactive model (Miles and
Huberman, 1984).
Work Ethos and Religion Implementation in Supporting Business Existence in Metal Craftsmen in Cepogo Village of Boyolali Indonesia
787
3 RESULT AND DISCUSSION
The result of research showed that metal
craftspersons experienced fluctuating business
development in running their business. However
business performers can control their business
condition thereby their business remain exist and
keep developing. Metal craft still existent and
developing continuously building on good work
ethos and religion implementation applied by metal
craftspersons.
Good work ethos the craftspersons have
includes: honesty, timeliness in finishing product
ordered by consumers, persistence in producing
work, and loyalty to consumers. Such work ethos
can create permanent buyer thereby increasing sale
volume among individual craftspersons.
Craftspersons hold the consumers’ trust in them
as it can improve certain craftspersons’ value before
the consumers. Various forms of work become
distinctive appeal to consumers. Consumers’
satisfaction becomes the craftspersons’ main goal, as
they can be permanent buyers. The result of
interview with Mr. Agus shows as follows:
“The buyers here come abroad and like hung
lamp, for example Dutch buyer. Permanent
buyers for lamp and table products come from
Netherland and Australia,” (Agus, metal
craftspersons, Boyolali, February 15, 2018).
Discipline and honesty in working become the
key to business advance of metal craftspersons.
Work ethos can be affected by religious values as
well. God loves workers and through working, they
can be elected servants; those motivations become a
belief in doing economic activity (Weber, 1958).
Cepogo Villagers have high entrepreneurship
spirit. It is indicated with large number of
craftspersons existing. There are about 652
craftspersons existing in Cepogo Village (Cepogo
Village Head Office).
Business performed does not always run
smoothly as planned, sometimes business cycle goes
down due to some factors. The decreased business
cycle is due to uncontrolled financial management.
Business decrease does not make the craftspersons
apathetic in pioneering their business.
Metal craftspersons whose business begins to
decrease can be metal craftspersons starting to
develop again. It is because they are aware of the
importance of religion implementation in daily life.
The benefit the craftspersons feel is blessing in their
business, as indicated with order coming
continuously.
Similarly, a metal craftsperson in Boyolali states
that religion makes the business performers aware
that there is an important relationship between
business and religion implementation. It can be seen
from the citation of interview with Mr. Wiyarto.
“My business I have built from the beginning has
ever gone bankrupt. Buyer craftspersons know
how to produce themselves. We are sometimes
overloaded. We borrow some money from
usurer. Some people consider that borrowing
money from usurer will be helpful. We want to
fulfill the buyer’s order timely, but sometimes we
lacked of capital. Many businesses on peak go
bankrupt due to usurer. They are entrapped.
Having learnt about it, in fact usurer’s system is
very depressing. Usury means paying interest
continuously. The usurers must be fierce and
coarse, so that we should pay the loan with
everything we have. Finally, we have nothing”
(Wiyarto, metal craftsperson, Boyolali, February
15, 2018).
The business experienced bankrupt does not
make the craftspersons submitted, they instead take
some lessons from that incidence. The lesson is that
the craftspersons are getting closer to Allah.
Motivation makes them realized that their running
business so far is less blessed as they rely on usury
for capital and they rarely give alms. It is indicated
with a citation of interview below.
“I have heard ustadz Yusuf Mansyur’s speech
about sedekah (alms) on television. Then, I feel
that I am Muslim but I have not known Islam
well. Thus, I become aware of some problems. I
should pass through bankrupt process to know
Allah better. Then, I sell my residual products
and I give the money resulting from the product
sale to orphanage. And, I began to borrow
money from my friend to start my business
gradually. I read Al Qur’an more, do duha, and
tahajud, and I sold dispenser and TV, the money
resulting from which is given to orphan. When I
had nothing, Alhamdulillah, an order calling
came in” (Wiyarto, metal craftsperson, Boyolali,
February 15, 2018).
High motivation in doing work enables
craftspersons to restart their business. Work ethos
experienced by craftspersons is based on religion, in
which craftspersons make transaction between
ICPS 2018 - 2nd International Conference Postgraduate School
788
buyers honestly, work on the order timely, and give
alms to maintain their business sustainability. It can
be seen from the citation of interview below:
“The most important thing is that I can be useful
to many people. I have established
Muhammadiyah Elementary School for three
years, and became donator in the school. I am
inspired from my experience in which my child
attended public school up to 4
th
grade, but he/she
worked on problem of 5 x 5 difficultly. Finally I
move him/her to Muhammadiyah school in
Banaran” (Wahyu, a metal craftsperson,
Boyolali, February 25, 2018).
Craftspersons believe that giving some of our
livelihood for many people’s interest will affect our
life and business. A successful business is separable
from religion activity implemented by craftspersons.
It is consistent with Max Weber’s theory suggesting
that work ethos as working spirit becomes an
individual or a groups’ typical characteristics and
group. Weber’s basic findings in protestant ethics
and capitalism spirit are: (1) considering that any
type of jobs and level are God’s calling, (2)
successful work indicates that God has given them
an opportunity of exalting His name, (3) ethics
grows work ethos, discipline, hard work, parsimony
or benefit rather than lavishing money for
unnecessary thing, and saving money. Thus, the
implication of protestant ethics includes work
success improving within society, high production,
and accumulated profit.
Economic activity adjacent to religion has
created new atmosphere in economic activity. Islam
tenet value applied to a business includes treating
fellow human beings well. The effect to be felt is
kindness acceptable to metal craftspersons. Rapidly
developing business makes the craftspersons not to
forget investing their richness. It can be seen from
citation of interview below:
“I usually use monetary profit resulting from
business for opening new business in different
area (field), such as cow breeding, broiler
chicken breeding, fashion store, and for buying
some land for investment” (Kis, metal
craftsperson, Boyolali, February 15, 2018).
Investment usually done by craftspersons can be
a reserve business when business cycle is
decreasing.
4 CONCLUSIONS
From the result of research, it could be found that
work ethos and religion implementation affected the
existence of business among craftspersons in
Cepogo. Work ethos and religion implementation
applied by metal craftspersons could make their
business surviving until today. Work ethos applied
includes honesty, timeliness in finishing product
ordered by consumers, persistence in producing
work, and loyalty to consumers. In addition to work
ethos, craftspersons were supported with religion
implementation usually done by business performers
in daily life. Religion implementation was conducted
through Islamic boarding schools, establishing
elementary school, doing umroh, and giving alms to
orphanage. In running their business, metal
craftsperson had a great spirit and works hard for
their business’ success as the representation of
religion implementation.
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