Exploring Succession Management in Nonprofit Organizations

2024 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K01950
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 07080:Business administration-related
• Research Institution: Aichi Gakuin University
• Principal Investigator: TSUDA Hidekazu 愛知学院大学, 経営学部, 教授 (80329599)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 小室 達章 金城学院大学, 国際情報学部, 教授 (00335001) ; 横山 恵子 関西大学, 商学部, 教授 (00349325)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2025-03-31
• Keywords: 非営利組織（NPO） / 事業承継 / 創設者シンドローム / 組織特性 / アッパーエシュロン / 事業承継計画 / ガバナンス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study was conducted to identify the challenges associated with business succession in NPOs and the factors influencing its success or failure. NPOs play a crucial role in addressing social issues, but challenges such as the “founder's syndrome,” where the founder's influence threatens the organization's sustainability, and difficulties in nurturing and securing successors have been pointed out.
To address these issues, this study combined literature reviews, questionnaire surveys, and fieldwork in Aichi Prefecture to conduct a comprehensive analysis of business succession in NPOs. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, some parts of the original plan had to be revised, but through flexible adjustments to the research plan, the study was able to accumulate empirical findings.

Free Research Field

経営学、ガバナンス、CSR

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

NPOの事業承継は、社会的価値の継承・発展に直結する重要課題であり、創設者世代の高齢化とともに、その実践的解決が喫緊の課題として浮上している。本研究は、創設者シンドロームの存在と緩和要因、理事会の多様な機能、後継者育成の柔軟な仕組み等を実証的に解明し、NPOの持続可能性確保に資する知見を提供した。これらの知見は、NPO内部の組織基盤改善のみならず、行政・支援機関等による政策形成においても実務的示唆を有すると考えられる。