Wives' Voices: Unequal Reward Distribution in Small Family Businesses

1998 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 33-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine C.H. Chiu

AbstractWomen incorporate their labour in the family businesses owned by their husbands. Their labour is an important family resource for business survival but they do not reap the benefits proportional to their contributions. Most of them are resigned to the objective gender inequalities. Economic necessity, the absence of viable alternatives and the ideology of women's roles make their compliance inevitable. The enhancement of economic and social status resulting from their incorporation also provides a strong incentive for their continued cooperation.

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esperanza Huerta ◽  
Yanira Petrides ◽  
Denise O’Shaughnessy

Purpose This research investigates the introduction of accounting practices into small family businesses, based on socioemotional wealth theory. Design/methodology/approach A multiple-case study was conducted gathering data through interviews and documents (proprietary and public). The sample included six businesses (five Mexican and one American) from different manufacturing and service industries. Findings It was found that, although owners control the implementation of accounting practices, others (including family employees, non-family employees and external experts) at times propose practices. The owner’s control can be relaxed, or even eliminated, as the result of proposals from some family employees. However, the degree of influence of family employees is not linked to the closeness of the family relationship, but rather to the owners’ perceived competence of the family employee, indicating an interaction between competence and experience on one side, and family ties on the other. Research limitations/implications First, the owners chose which documentary data to provide and who was accessible for interviews, potentially biasing findings. Second, the degree of influence family employees can exert might change over time. Third, the study included a limited number of interviews, which can increase the risk of bias. Finally, all firms studied were still managed by the founder. It is possible that small family businesses that have undergone a succession process might incorporate accounting practices differently. Practical implications Organizations promoting the implementation of managerial accounting practices should be aware that, in addition to the owner, some family employees and external experts could influence business practices. Accountants already providing accounting services to small family business are also a good source for proposing managerial accounting practices Originality/value This study contributes to theory in four ways. First, it expands socioemotional theory to include the perceived competence of the family employee as a potential moderator in the decision-making process. Second, it categorizes the actors who can influence managerial accounting practices in small family businesses. Third, it further refines the role of these actors, based on their degree of influence. Fourth, it proposes a model that describes the introduction of managerial accounting practices in small family business.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-29
Author(s):  
Maciej Dębski ◽  
Łukasz Sułkowski

Small and micro businesses form the largest group of entities offering services to tourists in tourist destinations. A majority of them are family businesses accommodation facilities. The study tests the hypothesis that the family nature of a business offering accommodation services can be a source of real competitive advantage being of significance for a certain group of clients. The advantage can be shaped by creating an image based on the owner’s involvement and hospitality. As the literature research indicated, in the case of the businesses described, it is relatively easy to develop a bond between the facility’s manager and their clients. The deliberations were extended by an empirical study conducted on a group of young people from Poland and Ukraine. Its results have indicated that accommodation services are significant elements of the satisfaction among the clients surveyed, and that in the group surveyed, the key reason for a trip is the intention to “experience and learn” and not comfort. It has also been confirmed that the determinants of accommodation services related to broadly defined hospitality are significant, however, not key in the group analyzed.


2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Terrón Ibáñez ◽  
María Elena Gómez-Miranda ◽  
María del Mar Miras Rodríguez ◽  
Lázaro Rodríguez Ariza

The aim of this study is to determine whether there are statistically significant differences between small Spanish companies according to their family or non-family nature, in terms of their main economic and financial indicators. The study data analysed correspond to the years 2003, 2007 and 2013, which enabled us to examine whether the characteristics observed and any differences between these companies persisted during a period featuring three different economic scenarios. The study sample was composed of 21,192 small family firms and 4,449 small non-family firms. The results obtained show that, regardless of the national economic situation, there were statistically significant differences between the two types of companies for certain economic and financial indicators. We conclude that the family nature of a company has a negative impact on productivity, the number of employees and levels of investment and turnover. Moreover, family firms face higher costs of external financing than do non-family businesses. En el presente trabajo se analiza, en primer lugar, si existen diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre las pequeñas empresas familiares y no familiares españolas en relación a sus principales indicadores económico-financieros. Se estudian datos referidos a los años 2003, 2007 y 2013, lo que nos permite analizar si las posibles diferencias se mantienen en tres escenarios económicos distintos, para 21192 pequeñas empresas familiares y 4449 pequeñas empresas no familiares. Las conclusiones obtenidas demuestran que, con independencia de la situación económica nacional, entre ambos tipos de empresas se han detectado diferencias estadísticamente significativas en el valor determinados indicadores económico-financieros. Concluimos que es el carácter familiar de las organizaciones el factor que afecta negativamente a la productividad de las organizaciones, al número de trabajadores, a la inversión y a la cifra de negocios. En cuanto al coste de la financiación ajena, las empresas familiares presentan valores más elevados que las empresas no familiares.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 21
Author(s):  
Honey Nandlal ◽  
Suresh Kumar

<p>Nowadays, family businesses are of high number in countires and contribute to the development of the economy. This research was conducted due to the importance of family business survival and it focuses on factors that affect their performance. Recently, family businesses have been identified as one of the concerns in the global entrepreneurial development agenda. This is because of the existing problem which is caused by family business owners avoid planning and treat succession as a problem instead of an opportunity. This impacts the continuity of the family-owned business. This research is made to emphasize the importance of planning and the drawbacks of negative bias in viewing succession as a problem. This study is expected to make family business owners understand the importance of planning and treating succession as an opportunity to achieve continuity. Qualitative research method was chosen as the method of the research with first generation family business owners as the key informants. Three key informants are chosen; Mr. Untoro A. Suryadi, Mr. IS and Mr. AS. In conclusion, family business should stop strategizing succession and treat succession as a practice.</p>


Author(s):  
Olga Sheverinova

The article is aimed at revealing the specificity of socio-pragmatic informative value of literary anthroponyms used by H. Böll in his literary works. The study of the onyms mentioned in such an aspect demonstrates the lack of comprehensive research. As a result, the findings covered this aspect are dispersal in scientific and practical work. However, literary onyms are considered to be semantic and text-forming units of a literary text and they are used to identify and differentiate the persons on their social, cultural, and psychological background, as well as to create the characters with national peculiarities. The object of the study includes the contextual units representing the «family names» anthroponymic category. The data collected are based on the following literary works by H. Böll: «Where Were You, Adam?» («Wo warst du, Adam?»), «Billiards at Half-Past Nine» («Billard um halb zehn»), «House without Guardians» («Haus ohne Hüter»), «The Clown» («Ansichten eines Clowns»). The continuous sampling method, qualitative-quantitative and descriptive ones, component and contextual analysis have been used as study methodology. The article contains certain essential results of the dissertation that have not been published yet. It is established that family names used by H. Böll are a means of revealing the following socio-pragmatic information: 1) the character’s nationality (a correlation between literary family names and the real national anthroponymic system is revealed); 2) a geographical location (family names with a typical sound and alphabetic composition that helps to define the place where the events occur); 3) social status (family names with the «von» component indicate both the character’s social status and their relationship with other members of the community); 4) a direct / indirect character’s description (family names with pure inner forms of the words and an updated internal form and appellatively based family names).


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Loubna Belaid ◽  
Emmanuel Ochola ◽  
Pontius Bayo ◽  
George William Alii ◽  
Martin Ogwang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Community participatory interventions mobilizing women of childbearing age are an effective strategy to promote maternal and child health. In 2017, we implemented this strategy in Gulu Northern Uganda. This study explored the perceived impact of this approach on women's capability. Methods We conducted a qualitative study based on three data collection methods: 14 in-depth individual interviews with participating women of childbearing age, five focus group discussions with female facilitators, and document analysis. We used the Sen capability approach as a conceptual framework and undertook a thematic analysis. Results Women adopted safe and healthy behaviors for themselves and their children. They were also able to respond to some of their family's financial needs. They reported a reduction in domestic violence and in mistreatment towards their children. The facilitators perceived improved communication skills, networking, self-confidence, and an increase in their social status. Nevertheless, the women still faced unfreedoms that deprived them of living the life they wanted to lead. These unfreedoms are related to their lack of access to economic opportunities and socio-cultural norms underlying gender inequalities. Conclusion To expand women's freedoms, we need more collective political actions to tackle gender inequalities and need to question the values underlying women's social status.


1974 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 453-461 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zohair A. Sebai

SummaryFamily planning is not being practised in Wadi Turaba in western Saudi Arabia, which is a Bedouin community with different stages of settlement. Children are wanted in the family, and the more children, especially boys, the better the social status of the family in the community. The desire of a mother for more children does not appear to be affected by her age group, history of previous marriages or history of previous pregnancies.Knowledge about contraceptives practically does not exist, except on a small scale in the settled community. Every woman, following the Koranic teachings, weans her child exactly at the age of 2 years, which obviously leads to the spacing of births. In rather rare situations, coitus interruptus is practised.


2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 231-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vitor Braga ◽  
Aldina Correia ◽  
Alexandra Braga ◽  
Sofia Lemos

Purpose The success of the family firms cannot be detached from the current paradigm where, within the present economic conditions, economic agents struggle to exploit the existing opportunities and need to take into account the risks associated to the international arena and the innovation processes. The internationalisation and innovation processes may trigger resistance within family business due to their relatively higher difficulty to take risks and to invest in industries outside the scope of their original core business. Innovation and internationalisation processes become relevant strategies for the family firms’ continuity and success. In line with such fact, the aim of this paper is to contribute with insights regarding the processes of innovation and internationalisation within family businesses. In particular, this paper aims to assess the propensity of such firms to apply such strategies, to identify the particular business behaviour and to assess the extent to which the particulars of family firms may constraint or lead to the implementation of innovation policies, and thus its internationalisation. Design/methodology/approach The data were collected through questionnaires within family business aiming to understand the scope and characteristics of internationalisation and innovation processes within these firms. The 154 replies from such data collection were analysed using different multivariate statistic procedures, although this paper is based on factorial and correlation analysis. Findings The analysis of the results shows that there is an association between the processes of innovation and internationalisation within family business. In addition, the results also suggest a typology of firms regarding their innovation and internationalisation strategies and motivations. Research limitations/implications The results of this paper are, to some extent, limited because they did not allow comparing the findings with data from non-family business. However, the authors’ aim was not to distinguish family firms, but rather to characterise them. Practical implications This paper expects to contribute with lessons for the management of family business and to raise awareness of the constraints faced by family business. It is important to highlight that family business performance may be affected by a lower propensity to risk-taking attitudes, by the lack of non-family management and to the necessity of separating the family and the business in the business dimensions that the family limits the business growth. Originality/value Although there is a significant amount of the literature devoted to explore family business, innovation and internationalisation studies, very few draw on the relationship between internationalisation and innovation processes within family business. This paper explores such a relationship within a particular business context – the family dynamics that strongly affect management and business development.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document