Medium-sized enterprise - Steady business enterprise

It is a coined term referring to companies that are not small and medium-sized enterprises that need protection or development, are not large companies with market dominance, and are not micro-enterprises, but have established a firm foothold with their own management and technical capabilities. It is not an academic or legal term, but it has been used since the mid-1960s due to the need to properly grasp the real economic situation. In terms of size, most of them are larger than small and medium-sized enterprises (unless otherwise specified, corporations with capital of 300 million yen or less or with 300 employees or less, or private companies with 300 employees or less. However, in the case of wholesale, capital of 100 million yen or less or with 100 employees or less, in the case of retail, capital of 50 million yen or less or with 50 employees or less, and in the case of service industry, capital of 50 million yen or less or with 100 employees or less). In terms of corporate form, although there are some limited liability companies, most are joint-stock companies. In the case of joint-stock companies, they are traded over the counter or listed on the second section of the stock exchange, and ownership and management are separate. Most importantly, business management, research and development, organization, personnel management, accounting, financial management, labor-management relations, etc. have been modernized and they are only inferior to large companies in terms of size.

[Mitsuo Morimoto]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

保護・育成を必要とする中小企業ではなく、市場支配力をもつ大企業でもなく、まして零細企業でもないが、独自の経営力・技術力をもって堅実に地歩を築いている企業をさす造語。学術・法令用語ではないが、現実の経済状況を適切にとらえる必要から、1960年代中葉から用いられるようになった。企業規模の点では、ほとんどが中小企業（とくに断らない限り、資本金3億円以下または従業員300人以下の法人企業もしくは従業員300人以下の個人企業。ただし卸売業では資本金1億円以下または従業員100人以下、小売業では資本金5000万円以下または従業員50人以下、サービス業では資本金5000万円以下または従業員100人以下）を超えており、企業形態では、一部合同会社もあるがほとんどが株式会社である。株式会社の場合は、店頭取引か第二部上場になっていて、所有と経営が分離している。もっとも重要なことは、経営管理、研究開発、組織、人事管理、会計、財務管理、労使関係などが近代化され、ただ規模の点で大企業に劣るのみということである。

［森本三男］

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