Agents of Change in Encouraging Rural Economic Growth: A Step to Create SME Cluster in Indonesia

Abstract

Social entrepreneurship has emerged as a response to social problems to encourage sustainable economic growth. As a developing country, Indonesia encourages community economic empowerment at the rural level through the village-owned enterprise program (called BUMDes). The challenge of the spread of Covid-19 causes economic shock to society. Village economic empowerment is considered a solution for overcoming the economic problems faced by rural communities during the Covid-19 pandemic. This study aimed to identify the characteristics and roles of social entrepreneurs as agents of change in encouraging rural economic growth in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. This study used a qualitative approach by interviewing one of the agents of change in Garut, Indonesia. The study's results showed five characteristics of the agent of change: trustworthiness, social skills, energetics, the ability to put ideas into programs, and never giving up. These agents of change also played a role in encouraging local training programs for rural communities with the various knowledge and skills needed to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic. This study has both practical and academic implications for social entrepreneurship.