Toward a Quantitative Validation of Entrepreneurial Characteristics and Ecosystem in Japan
An Exploratory Factor Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52731/lbds.v005.442Keywords:
Entrepreneurial Characteristics, Entrepreneurial Ecosystems, Mindset and Skillset, Entrepreneur, EntrepreneurshipAbstract
This study aims to quantitatively validate the Entrepreneurial Characteristics (EC) Model, which conceptualizes the interaction between internal factors (mindset and skillset) and external factors (entrepreneurial support systems and cultural context) in the decision-making of Japanese entrepreneurs. Based on prior qualitative research, we developed a scale reflecting these dimensions and conducted a pilot survey with 106 participants. Using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with maximum likelihood estimation and promax rotation, we identified a three-factor structure: (1) Environmental Readiness, (2) Entrepreneurial Drive, and (3) Sense of Purpose. These factors reflect key dimensions of the EC model and demonstrate theoretical coherence and practical relevance. The findings offer a foundational framework for subsequent confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM), contributing to both academic theory and entrepreneurial support policy. This study serves as a bridge between qualitative insights and empirical validation, offering new directions for entrepreneurship research in Japan.
References
Yasuoka, K., Hosoda, T., Miyoshi, K., Matsuo, T., & Ma, Q. (2024). The interaction between entrepreneurial characteristics and ecosystems in Japan: Building a new model for entrepreneurs. Proceedings of the IIAI AAI Winter Conference, Jakarta, Indonesia, 5, 8. https://doi.org/10.52731/lbds.v005.337
McClelland, D. C. (1961). The Achieving Society. Princeton, NJ: Van Nostrand.
Neck, H. M., Greene, P. G., & Brush, C. G. (2017). Teaching entrepreneurship: A practice-based approach. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Daspit, J. J., Fox, C. J., & Findley, S. K. (2021). Entrepreneurial mindset: An in-tegrated definition, a review of current insights, and directions for future research. Journal of Small Business Management, 59(1), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/00472778.2021.1907583
Fleisher, C. (2021). 4-Sets: Configuring Mindsets, Skillsets, Toolsets, and Datasets. Aurora WDC.
Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Random House, p6.
Isenberg, D. (2011). The entrepreneurship ecosystem strategy as a new paradigm for economic policy: Principles for cultivating entrepreneurship. Babson Entre-preneurship Ecosystem Project.
Stam, E. (2015). Entrepreneurial ecosystems and regional policy: A sympathetic critique. European Planning Studies, 23(9), 1759–1769.
Spigel, B. (2015). The relational organization of entrepreneurial ecosystems. En-trepreneurship Theory and Practice, 41(1), 49–72.
Ashizawa, M., Watanabe, M.: (2019) Trends and Future Directions of Entrepre-neurial Ecosystem (EE) Research: The Potential of a Case Study on Tokyo EE, The Yokohama City University Review: Social Science Series, Vol.71, No.3, p.88.