抄録
It is said that religious and ethnic minorities tend to have an advantage over majority in making profit. However, there seems to be no established theory to explain the reasons for this tendency. The purpose of this article is to clarify this tendency through an analysis of ethnic personality.
It is difficult for Japanese to recognize the existence of the Korean first generation in Japan who have superiority in the moneymaking activity.
Because it is almost impossible for Japanese to differentiate Koreans from Japanese in outward appearance and they use Japanese name when they are in business. For example, Takeo Shigemitsu the founder of Lotte Co., Ltd. and Hisakichi Yamaguchi the founder of Daiwa-seikan Co., Ltd., ets.
There was the ethnical discrimination in employment against Koreans. There was nochoice except lowly tasks, they had to set up business on their own. This circumstance focused not only their but also the next generations' capabilities on a certain industry.
The Korean first generation in Japan have ethnocentric idea and take a special pride in their noble ancestors. Their value is based on traditional Korean Confucianism that they have been taught. This teaching worked effectively as a warrentable excuse and motivation when they started business. They had a will to invest in their mother country in order that they may return or send something home with fortune and honor. This became the entrepreneurship of the Korean first generation in Japan.
But the second and the third generation differs from the first generation in personality, because they were assimilated into Japanese. This resulted in decline in their ability as entrepreneurship.
This fact proves that the difference in ethnic personality in one society is one of the most important factor in establishing the entrepreneurship.
