This article empirically investigates the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and corporate entrepreneurship in family firms. Corporate entrepreneurship has been widely recognized as an effective means for revitalizing companies and improving their financial performance. Entrepreneurial orientation refers to the strategy-making processes and styles of firms that engage in entrepreneurial activities. The previous studies in Europe and the United States have identified five factors of EO: innovativeness, proactiveness, risk-taking, autonomy, and competitive aggressiveness. In this study, using a sample of 112 Japanese family firms, I conduct an exploratory factor analysis, and find four factors of entrepreneurial orientation : innovativeness, proactiveness, risk-taking and competitive aggressiveness. However, I do not find autonomy in Japan. Also, some items in competitive aggressiveness factor are mixed up with autonomy factor. Moreover, innovation, proactiveness, and risk-taking are positively related to entrepreneurial performance. These results suggest that the positive impact of entrepreneurial organization on corporate entrepreneurship exist even if the countries are different. I also conduct an analysis of covariance, and find that entrepreneurial orientation mediates the relationship between sales, firm size, and firm age and entrepreneurial performance. As sales and firm size grow, the increased managerial resources make it impossible to maintain the existing business strategy. Therefore, family firms tend to be engaged in corporate entrepreneurship activities and to shift into entrepreneurial organization. Since the older family firms are more likely to gain first-mover advantages, and to keep leadership positions in the industry and the region, going ahead of competitors is very important.
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