University of Tokyo

Abstract
Survey Number 1234
Survey Title Questionnaire on Business Succession Issues among Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, 2015
Depositor Japan Finance Corporation Research Institute
Restriction of Use For detailed information, please refer to 'For Data Users' on the SSJDA website.

- Apply to SSJDA. Depositor's approval is required.
Educational Purpose Only available for research.
Period of Data Use Permission One year
Access to Datasets Download
SSJDA Data Analysis Not available
Summary As small business owners continue to age, business succession is becoming more important. Against this backdrop, a survey on business succession was conducted in 2007 targeting small enterprises that were business partners of the former National Life Finance Corporation to understand the prospects for small- and medium-sized enterprise business successions and consider future issues. In 2009, the survey was conducted again targeting small- and medium-sized enterprises that were business partners of the Japan Finance Corporation. This survey targeted small- and medium-sized enterprises as a whole including those that did not have business with the Japan Finance Corporation.
Data Type quantitative research: micro data
Universe Small and medium-sized business managers
Unit of Observation Individual
Sample Size 4,110 people
Date of Collection 2015-09 ~ 2015-09
September 2015
Time Period 2015 ~ 2015
Spatial Unit
A detailed survey was conducted on business succession among people who indicated in the screener survey that they were any of "company or organization," "individual business owners," or "freelance business operators."
Sampling Procedure Non-probability
Internet survey (screener survey and detailed survey)
Mode of Data Collection Self-administered questionnaire: Web-based (CAWI)
Internet survey (screener survey and detailed survey)
Investigator Japan Finance Corporation Research Institute
DOI 10.34500/SSJDA.1234
Sponsors (Funds)
Related Publications (by the Investigator) Please refer to the abstract in Japanese.
Related Publications (based on Secondary Analysis) List of related publications (based on Secondary Analysis)
Documentation Questionnaire
Major Survey Items (1) Face screening items
- Gender
- Age
- Occupation
- Organizational form of self-employed person's business
- Number of employees

(2) Basic business information
- Year founded
- Industry
- Whether the enterprise was founded by respondent
- Whether the enterprise was founded by a respondent’s relative
- Whether the business is run at home
- Whether the business is covered by employment insurance
- Number of business offices
- Age at which respondent became a manager
- Sales situation compared to this time one year ago
- Performance compared to other companies in the same industry
- Views on the future of the business over the next 10 years

(3) About successors
- Number and gender of children
- Decision regarding successor

[People who have a successor]
- Relationship to successor
- Successor’s current age, age at the time of expected succession
- Things that may be problematic regarding business succession

[People who have not decided on a successor]
- Thoughts on selling the company if no successor can be found
- Business assets that respondent wants someone to take over if a successor cannot be found
- The reason a successor has not been decided
- The respondent’s relationship with the person whom respondent wants to be the successor

[People who will close the business]
- Reasons for the plan to close business without handing it over to the next generation
- Possible problems when closing the business
- Until what age respondent plans to continue running the business
Date of Release 2019/08/22
Topics in CESSDA Click here for details

ECONOMICS
Economic conditions and indicators
LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Employment
TRADE, INDUSTRY AND MARKETS
Business/industrial management and organisation
Topics in SSJDA Economy/Industry/Management
Version 1 : 2019-08-22
Notes for Users - Q3 and Q21 are not open to the public.
- Data needed to be weighted when analyzed.