This study aims to organize the various existing studies dealing with the relationship between regions and entrepreneurial activities and examine the ongoing discussion on entrepreneurial activities. The research associated with the keyword “region” is broad, and it is difficult to grasp the whole picture. From this perspective, this research focuses on the historical background of each research as a clue to organize various discussions. Then, we examined whether, why, and how the regional perspective has contributed to clarifying entrepreneurial activities. Accordingly, we organized the representative studies into three perspectives. We further summarized the significance and role of regional perspective in the study of entrepreneurial activity and provided directions for future research in this field.

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The purpose of this study is to review the current research trends on “effectuation”, which has attracted attention in entrepreneurship research in recent years, and to discuss the potential for future research. After overviewing effectuation theory, I review the research trends on effectuation focusing on the common research issues and the controversies on top journals. Such previous works has contributed to the development of effectuation research by providing empirical evidence on its effectiveness, enhancing understanding its components, and broadening the application its scope of application. Finally, I summarize the significance of effectuation theory in entrepreneurship research in relation to Simon (1996)'s “the science of artifacts” and discuss the future research possibilities.

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In this study, we have clarified quantitative evidence of success patterns and pricing in reward-based crowdfunding. Reward-based crowdfunding is attracting academic and practical interest because of its expanding market and diverse applications. In particular, empirical studies on the success factors of reward-based crowdfunding are progressing. However, previous studies have conducted empirical analyses based on the implicit assumption that the success pattern of reward-based crowdfunding is single. In this study, we use data of “CAMPFIRE” that is a Japanese reward-based crowdfunding platform, and a latent class model to clustering the success patterns and considering pricing of reward-based crowdfunding. We also proposed a model that better explains the success factors of reward-based crowdfunding compared to previous studies. These results will contribute to improving our understanding of the characteristics of reward-based crowdfunding and to developing specific guidelines for success in reward-based crowdfunding.

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In recent years, there have been several cases where incumbent platforms (PFs), which should be able to take advantage of network effects, have lost their dominant position in the market. This paper examines the logic of incumbent PFs declining their market position and the key management issues involved by focusing on user engagement behavior in PFs at the leadership stage. Specifically, the following conclusions are argued through a case study of “mixi”, as a PF in the information market. The PF will increase the number of users and complementors by improving and adding functions, backed by network effects. In that case, the PF, because of its dominant position, will take homogenizing actions towards their competitors. However, such management policies will change the distinctiveness of the engagement behavior of the users of the PF in question, which in turn will transform the distinctiveness of the PF that it originally possessed. This is one factor that will reduce the market position of the PF, which had been in a dominant position.

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“Commercial high schools” that are ubiquitous throughout Japan can be studied by students of a wide range of academic ability, and can be expected to be a base for expanding entrepreneurship education “EE” to rural areas and to a layer that has nothing to do with entrepreneurship. The purpose of this paper is to elucidate the success factors of EE in commercial high schools based on collaboration with outside schools from a framework centered on “community of practice”. When we analyzed EE of two advanced cases of school that are working with in-school corporation and regional revitalizing, the both built mutual communities that ensured community that became a “the third place” with informality and spontaneity secured. This encouraged the transformation of identity and perspective through noncanonical learning, leading to innovations such as new product development. As management, it became clear that it is important to make connections with adept key person and for the organization to support the teachers in the coordinator role to make it easier to move.

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The purpose of this paper is to identify the promotion process of Corporate Accelerator Program, in which large companies collaborate with venture companies to create new businesses. Corporate Accelerator Program has been spreading rapidly since 2010. Since 2015, more and more Japanese companies have been adopting this program. However, since this is an emerging business creation method, prior studies have not sufficiently discussed the process of promoting it. Therefore, this paper analyzes a detailed case study of a Japanese confectionery manufacturer, MORINAGA & CO., Ltd. by supporting the analytical framework proposed in previous studies on Corporate Venturing. The following facts were found in this paper. The introduction of the Corporate Accelerator Program created a new organizational context in a large company and encouraged organizational members to engage in business creation activities. However, in the context of existing businesses, the act of putting pressure on the creation of new businesses is encouraged in order to defend the existing businesses. Resolving such conflicts requires not only top management support, but also negotiation and interest adjustment among departments. Through this process, the Corporate Accelerator Program will lead to the creation of new businesses. And this paper found that the ex-post creation of new businesses by members of the organization may have various results in achieving the objectives of the Corporate Accelerator Program. Based on these findings, this paper presents the process of the Corporate Accelerator Program in the case study company.

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