Work Ethos and Religion Implementation in Supporting Business

Existence in Metal Craftsmen in Cepogo Village of Boyolali Indonesia

Susi Ningsih

, Bagus Haryono

and Argyo Demartoto

Master of Sociology Study Program, Sebelas Maret University, Surakarta

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

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

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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

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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