थोडक्यात सारांश
An entrepreneur (उद्योजक) is a person who sees a business opportunity, collects resources, takes risk and starts a new venture. Entrepreneurship is the process of doing this. This topic explains the meaning, functions, types and qualities of an entrepreneur, and the main theories about why people become entrepreneurs.
महत्त्वाचे मुद्दे
- The word comes from the French "entreprendre", meaning to undertake.
- Richard Cantillon first used the term for a person who buys at a certain price and sells at an uncertain price, bearing risk.
- Joseph Schumpeter (1934): the entrepreneur is an innovator who brings "new combinations" – a new product, new method, new market, new source of raw material, or new organisation.
- Peter Drucker: entrepreneurs always search for change, respond to it and exploit it as an opportunity.
- Functions: idea generation, risk bearing, organising resources, innovation, decision-making, management, dealing with government.
- Clarence Danhof's types (based on American agriculture): innovative, imitative (adoptive), Fabian (cautious, change only when forced), drone (refuse to change even at a loss).
- Other types: by ownership (private, public, joint), by area (rural, urban), by gender (women entrepreneurs), by technology (technical, non-technical), first-generation, and intrapreneur (entrepreneur inside an existing firm).
- Qualities: vision, risk-taking ability, self-confidence, hard work, creativity, leadership, decision-making, flexibility, patience, and the need for achievement.
- David McClelland (The Achieving Society, 1961): people with high need for achievement (n-Ach) become entrepreneurs.
- Entrepreneurs create jobs, use local resources, increase exports, reduce regional imbalance and raise living standards.
महत्त्वाच्या संज्ञा
- Entrepreneurship – the process of starting and running a new venture by taking risk.
- Enterprise – the business unit created by the entrepreneur.
- Intrapreneur – an employee who acts like an entrepreneur within an organisation.
- Innovation – putting a new idea into practical use.
महत्त्वाची माहिती
| Basis | Entrepreneur | Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Motive | Start a venture | Run the venture |
| Status | Owner | Employee |
| Risk | Bears risk | No ownership risk |
| Reward | Profit (uncertain) | Salary (fixed) |
| Focus | Innovation | Efficient execution |
५ महत्त्वाचे प्रश्न
Q1. Who is an entrepreneur?
A person who identifies an opportunity, brings together land, labour and capital, bears the risk and uncertainty, and starts a new business for profit.
Q2. What is an intrapreneur?
An employee who is given freedom and resources by the company to develop new ideas or products inside the organisation, acting like an entrepreneur without owning the firm.
Q3. Explain the functions of an entrepreneur.
Outline: perceiving opportunity, idea generation, feasibility study, arranging finance, organising resources, risk and uncertainty bearing, innovation, management and control, public relations and dealing with government; one line each with an example.
Q4. Explain the types of entrepreneurs according to Clarence Danhof.
Outline: innovative – first to introduce new ideas (suitable for developed countries); imitative – copy successful innovations (suitable for developing countries like India); Fabian – very cautious; drone – refuse to change; give a business example for each.
Q5. Explain the qualities of a successful entrepreneur.
Outline: list 8–10 qualities with explanation; refer to McClelland's need for achievement; Indian examples such as Dhirubhai Ambani (vision, risk-taking) and Lijjat Papad's founders (cooperation, perseverance).
परीक्षेसाठी टीप
Quote Schumpeter's "innovator" idea in any definition question, and give one Indian example of an entrepreneur to make your answer memorable.