2021 年 51 巻 1 号 p. 101-113
There have been many empirical studies on the entrepreneurship of start-ups mainly focusedon entrepreneurial motivations, and institutional and social factors. However, research on thefactors affecting the innovativeness of star-ups through comparative analysis between socialenterprises and commercial enterprises is scarce.
Social enterprises that execute a dual-mission to contribute towards the inclusive growth anddevelopment of the society have reached a scale of value added and employment in Japan sincethe 2000s. It is not easy for social enterprises to solve social problems and realize sustainabledevelopment of business through creating innovative products and services.
The purpose of this study was to clarify the socio-economic factors affecting the innovativenessof start-ups through comparative analysis between social enterprises and commercial enterprisesin Japan. Specifically, quantitative analytical methods such as exploratory and confirmatorymulti-variate analyses were applied to enterprise level micro-data based on the Survey on ActualConditions of Start-ups in 2013( conducted by the Japan Finance Corporation Research Institute).
We reached the following conclusions based on the analytical results. First, a highly innovativesocial enterprise has the same level of social attributes( human capital), endogenous motivation,and management ability as a highly innovative commercial enterprise. Secondly, highlyinnovative social enterprises have special factors in business strategies, internal labor marketmanagement and external networks compared to highly innovative commercial enterprises. Therefore, to promote the development of social enterprises in Japan, policies and support systemsthat match the characteristics of the social enterprise are necessary.
JEL Classifications:O35, L26, L31