Karakter usahawan asnaf dalam program jaya diri Lembaga Zakat Negeri Kedah

Entrepreneurship contributes significantly to the economic development of a country. Thus, more entrepreneurs tend to make business their main source of income to live better. Poor and needy asnaf was not left behind with the help of capital assistance and business equipment from the zakat institutions. However, the zakat institutions faced challenges in nurturing the asnaf on the character of successful entrepreneurs. The main objective was to identify the success factors of poor and needy asnaf entrepreneurs. The first specific objective was to examine the relationship between the characters of asnaf entrepreneurs, such as the entrepreneur's characteristics, attitudes, skills and competencies and the success of asnaf entrepreneurs who participated in the Jaya Diri program organised by the Kedah State Zakat Board. Next, to study the relationship between Islamic spiritual practices and the success of asnaf entrepreneurs in the program. Lastly, to determine whether Islamic spiritual practice was a moderating factor in the relationship between the characteristics of entrepreneurs (love challenges, discipline, and vision) and their success in the program. This study applied a cross-sectional survey design and 352 questionnaires were distributed to respondents in all the districts involved in Kedah. The Partial Least Squares Structural Equation (PLS-SEM) analysis indicated that only two variables influenced the success of asnaf entrepreneurs, namely characteristics and attitudes of entrepreneurs. Meanwhile, the entrepreneur's skills (self-advancement, financial management and management of employees, customers and suppliers) and self-competence did not affect the success of asnaf entrepreneurs. The findings also showed that Islamic spiritual practices moderated the relationship between the characteristics of entrepreneurs and the success of asnaf entrepreneurs. Theoretically, this study contributed to the use of Social Cognitive Career Theory and supported by Human Capital Theory in studying the context of success factors of asnaf entrepreneurs. From a practical point of view, this study found that Islamic spiritual practices contributed to efforts in producing Muslim entrepreneurs, especially asnaf who can understand, accept and practice Islamic spiritual practices in their business affairs. In other words, this study enriched previously limited research on asnaf entrepreneurs and contributed to academic development, asnaf entrepreneurship, poverty alleviation and good zakat management.