Abstract: The difference between actual performance and expectation goal is an important driving force to promote the business model innovation of private enterprises. However, the differences between the different conditions of realizing business model innovation under the expectation surplus and expectation gap and the differences in environment, resources and entrepreneurship of different enterprises lead to the inconsistency of research conclusions.Based on this, this paper constructs the linkage model of business model innovation elements of private enterprises under the performance expectation gap, and uses the qualitative comparative analysis method of fuzzy sets to investigate the influence of factor linkage on business model innovation.The results show that: (1) in order to realize business model innovation, private enterprises have five optional conditions: “favorable environment -maintenance”,“ favorable situation- crisis”,“ adversity-poverty”, “adversity- potential” and “adversity- warning”;(2) under the expectation surplus,when the persistence and scope of expectation gap is at high level, it is easier to realize business model innovation;(3) under the expectation gap, when the persistence and scope of expectation gap is at low level, it is easier to realize business model innovation, while strong entrepreneurship can promote enterprises to achieve business model innovation under the short-term and small-scale expectation gap;(4) under the performance expectation gap, the dynamic environment becomes the key driving force to promote the innovation of business model, and as long as there is a strong resource abundance and entrepreneurship, it is conducive to the realization of business model innovation.

Key words: private enterprises, performance expectation gap, business model innovation, fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis