The why and how of managerialization of family businesses: evidences from Italy (original) (raw)
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Journal of Family Business Strategy, 2011
Despite considerable progress made using systems and configurative approaches in family business research, current knowledge remains limited on how different combinations of organizational attributes determine relevant outcomes and, therefore, how family affects businesses. To address this question, we focus on the overlap between family and business at management and governance levels. We posit that family- and business-oriented decisions emerge in four areas: board of directors, succession, human resources, and strategic process. This argument allows us to conceive three ideal types of family firms that yield maximum family firm performance, by considering the way that family firms adjust their orientations in their decisions. Building on a sample of 732 privately owned Spanish family firms, we propose the following main hypothesis: the greater the similarity of a family firm to an ideal profile, the better its performance. Our main results show that family firms can achieve successful business results by using a combination of family and business orientations in their decision making.► Research questions: How are family businesses managed and governed from the standpoint of the family-business relationship? And, how do different combinations of management and governance affect family firm performance? ► Our typological model of family business is inspired by essence perspective which asserts that the family's influence on the firm creates certain specific ways of acting. ► We used an empirical method to analyze the proposed typological model. ► We found that business performance can be achieved by different ways, i.e. different horizontal fits.
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In most studies, the affiliation of the manager (family-affiliated or non-family affiliated) and supposedly related behavior (agent or steward) is considered the sole antecedent to explain a family business’ (non) professionalization of managerial controls. This paper, based on Luhmann’s new system theory, examines whether a family’s decision premises influence the design of managerial controls in family firms in addition to a manager’s family affiliation status. Using survey data of 135 large and medium-sized Brazilian family firms and testing the hypotheses with SEM, this study provides evidence that a family’s decision premises significantly influence the design of managerial controls in family firms. This study provides evidence that when a family’s intention to transfer the firm to next generation (TGO) is high, more formal controls, as well as controls of a more participative nature are adopted in a family firm. Moreover, the results do not indicate that the level of family in...
Professionalization in family firms versus non-family businesses in Italy
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This paper investigates the characteristics of professionalization in a group of Italian smallmedium family firms (FFs), appraising similarities and differences compared to non-family firms (NFFs). The research focuses the implementation of formal Strategic Planning (SP), Management Control Systems (MCSs), and features thereof. Literature review has been combined with research findings of a questionnaire submitted to a sample of North Italian FFs and NFFs. Professionalization is a relevant issue either at theoretical or practical level as it suggests a direction of managerial innovation for competitiveness Managerial mechanisms are believed to generate benefits, especially in terms of support to the decision-making processes of the various functions of the firm.
Family‐member and non‐family‐member managers in family businesses
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PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate, in a multi‐country context, the inclusion of family‐member managers and non‐family‐member managers in family businesses, and the relationship of this variable to certain management activities, styles and characteristics.Design/methodology/approachThis four‐country study involved survey research and correlational testing of nine hypotheses. The four countries, Croatia, France, India and the USA, provided a mixture of entrepreneurial contexts. Given limited prior research in this area, this study is exploratory and broadly focused.FindingsThere was limited support for the relationship between the percentage of non‐family‐member managers and the nine management activities, styles and characteristics studied, both between and within countries. The strongest support was for the positive relationship between the percentage of non‐family managers and the use of sophisticated financial management methods.Research limitations/implicationsIn...
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Family involvement in and institutionalization of family businesses: A research
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This study considers family involvement (presence of family) in business context, with the aim of understanding from the perspective of institutionalization how this involvement affects the pillars of institutionalization. The study considers the top managers of family businesses in Turkey’s four largest cities, and hence draws a general picture of this subject in Turkey. The results reveal that top managers show a resistance towards institutionalization: if the adoption of rules regarding the family’s presence in relation to the business context is sufficiently well emphasized, then it is not particularly necessary to emphasize the institutionalization of managerial, financial, and succession issues.
Family Involvement in Ownership and Management: Exploring Nonlinear Effects on Performance
Family Business Review, 2008
Research on the performance of family firms is growing, but results are mixed, especially for nonlisted companies. Thus, on the basis of the co-presence of benefits and disadvantages of family involvement in ownership and management, we explored the presence of nonlinear effects of these two variables on performance. We run regression analyses on data drawn from 620 privately held family firms in Italy: A negative quadratic relationship between family involvement in management and performance was found, but we did not find any association between family involvement in ownership and performance. Our results suggest that in privately held firms the positive effects that previous literature associates with the presence of family managers do not appear strong enough to compensate for the disadvantages deriving from a nonmonetary goal orientation, nor do they compensate for the costs deriving from the need to solve conflicts between family managers and the impossibility of enlarging the company's social and intellectual capital through the employment of nonfamily managers. Moreover, the quadratic nature of the relationship calls for greater attention to be paid to these effects by family business owners, especially in those cases where family involvement in management is high.
Family Businesses Management and Succession: A Meta-Analysis
American Journal of Operations Management and Information Systems, 2020
Purpose: This paper assesses how management and succession is handled in family businesses. In addition, the research seeks to find out how to manage the business succession in the family business during the transitional period of the case company. Furthermore, the objective of my research is to provide guidelines for implementing family business succession strategy. Approach: Study was a meta-analytical literature review based on the analytical and descriptive research designs used. Findings: This paper found that rewards of a family-owned business are many as are the challenges. The findings of this research indicate that family businesses are unique and they have several common characteristics that differentiate them from other businesses. This uniqueness also causes the special challenges and opportunities, which family businesses face in their operations. The most significant characteristic that separates family businesses from non-family businesses is the family's impact on the business and ownership. The unique family business characteristics, challenges and opportunities stated in the theoretical framework can be applied to the family businesses used in this research. It can be stated that both of the case companies fit the concept of a typical family business, which is unique compared to other businesses. Limitations: the design and process of sieving articles for critical review is time consuming and involves voluminous data analysis. Conclusion: Family businesses try to intersect the distinctions between family issues and business matters. This needs to be handled with utmost care as it spells the difference between success and failure. The outcomes of this research pointed out that there are mainly two obstacles concerning the family business i.e. The company does not have a proper successor, the family governance issues have an impact on the family business succession. In other words, the family governance issues which are aspects of the poor management mode and feudal family culture. Originality: There is a paucity of recent research in this area and this paper makes a contribution towards filling this gap.
Management processes and strategy execution in family firms: from “what” to “how”
Small Business Economics, 2016
The distinctiveness of family firms' goals, structures, resources, strategies, and performance has been studied in terms of what family firms do or are able to achieve that are different from those of nonfamily firms. This dominant approach to studying family firm behavior has contributed significantly to our understanding of such organizations. Currently, however, we know little about how family firm decisions are made and the processes by which family firms plan and execute. We develop a conceptual framework and set out an agenda for future research on how the distinctive/unique interaction between the business and the family influences the management processes by which family firms implement their strategies.