The methodology of qualitative research in small family businesses

Abstract The research into workaholism in individuals running small, family-owned businesses, among microentrepreneurs, i.e. individuals conducting business activity and employing up to 9 people, was inspired by the relatively high number of persons seeking assistance at a psychotherapy centre, classifying the ailments as workaholic issues, with n=64 respondents interviewed. The paper presents selected manifestations of workaholism, categorised into several key data areas as a result of qualitative research. Quota sampling was used to select respondents who were microentrepreneurs and who had been running family businesses for at least two generations. The results presented in the paper are part of a more extensive research project supervised by the first author, concerning the psychological aspects of running family businesses.

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Estrutura organizacional de uma empresa a partir de um processo de sucessão familiar: um estudo de caso

Revista Foco ◽

10.28950/1981-223x_revistafocoadm/2020.v13i1.733 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 57

Author(s):

Evanir Nascimento ◽

Débora Volpato ◽

Adriana Carvalho Pinto Vieira ◽

Julio Cesar Zilli

Keyword(s):

Qualitative Research ◽

Organizational Structure ◽

Family Businesses ◽

Active Member ◽

Know How ◽

Small Family ◽

Hierarchical Levels ◽

Suitable Structure ◽

Equal Work ◽

The City

As pequenas empresas familiares que vivenciam um cenário de sucessão possuem complexidades que vão além da administração família versus empresa e precisam de uma estruturação mais dinâmica para se manterem no mercado. Assim, surge a proposta de uma estrutura organizacional para uma empresa de pequeno porte do ramo metal mecânico localizada na cidade de Nova Veneza, SC a partir de um processo de sucessão familiar. Para propor uma estrutura adequada à empresa, foi utilizada uma pesquisa qualitativa por meio de um formulário onde os colaboradores preencheram com as informações de seus cargos e funções. Posteriormente foi aplicada uma entrevista com o fundador e seu sucessor para identificar onde a sucessão impactaria na sua estrutura organizacional proposta. Por meio da pesquisa foi identificado que os colaboradores realizam trabalhos iguais e precisam saber operar todas as máquinas da empresa. Na análise dos dados obtidos foi possível propor um organograma, onde foram identificados os níveis hierárquicos e uma estrutura de cargos para cada membro atuante dentro da empresa. Small family businesses that experience a succession scenario have complexities that go beyond family versus company management and require a more dynamic structuring to remain in the market. Thus, the proposal of an organizational structure for a small metal mechanic company located in the city of Nova Veneza, SC, is presented, starting from a process of family succession. In order to propose a suitable structure for the company, a qualitative research was used through a form where the employees filled out the information of their positions and functions. Subsequently an interview with the founder and his successor was applied to identify where the succession would impact on its proposed organizational structure. Through the research was identified that the employees perform equal work and must know how to operate all the machines of the company. In the analysis of the obtained data it was possible to propose an organization chart, where hierarchical levels and a structure of positions for each active member within the company were identified.

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Working in small family businesses: empirical comparisons to non-family businesses

Journal of Organizational Behavior ◽

10.1002/(sici)1099-1379(199705)18:3<297::aid-job805>3.0.co;2-d ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 18 (3) ◽

pp. 297-312 ◽

Cited By ~ 104

Author(s):

TERRY A. BEEHR ◽

JOHN A. DREXLER ◽

SONJA FAULKNER

Keyword(s):

Family Businesses ◽

Small Family

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Türkiye'de Tarım Sektöründeki Küçük Aile İşletmelerinin Pazarlama Desteklemeleri Üzerine Bir Güven Oyunu

Turkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology ◽

10.24925/turjaf.v9i1.98-105.3735 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 98-105

Author(s):

Tuğçe Kızıltuğ ◽

Erdal Dağıstan

Keyword(s):

Game Theory ◽

Food Supply ◽

Food Production ◽

Family Businesses ◽

Current Position ◽

Sudden Drop ◽

The Public ◽

Small Family ◽

Qualified Personnel ◽

The Game Theory

It is an important issue for small family businesses, which cannot keep up with the development of technology, you maintain their current position in the competition market and to increase their share of efficiency. Small family businesses meet a need about 80% of food production. Withdrawg these enterprise from the market may bring about a sudden drop in food supply. The aim of this study is to demonstrate to providing marketing training to small family businesses, how farmers can increase skills, production and profitability. Realization of these expectations will be possible with the support of big business or the public. In this study, using the game theory, possible strategies between two players (project founder and farmer) were taken into consideration and the gains to be obtained at each stage were found. As a result, it was concluded that cooperating with the investment institution and the farmer who received the training would increase the profit. This result is underlie of trust, cooperation and organization. Thus, while the production increases, the shortage of qualified personnel will decrease and contribution to employment will be provided. It will also contribute to overcoming technology-related marketing problems.

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Small family business in Russia: formal or informal?

International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy ◽

10.1108/ijssp-04-2017-0046 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 38 (9/10) ◽

pp. 809-822 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Alexander Chepurenko

Keyword(s):

Family Business ◽

Family Firms ◽

Family Members ◽

Family Businesses ◽

Entrepreneurial Activity ◽

Small Scale ◽

Content Type ◽

Small Family ◽

Scale Family ◽

Russian State

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to deal with informal entrepreneurial activity of micro and small family businesses in the specific transitional environment. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses two cases – an informal micro business (“marginal” family business), and a formal retail small firm (“simpleton” family firm), respectively, of a panel conducted in 2013–2015 in Moscow. Findings First, the real distribution of responsibilities between family members is informal; it relies more on interpersonal trust and “common law.” Second, exactly the ease of governing such trust-based businesses for the founders’ generation sets limits of succession of small-scale family businesses. Third, as trust in the state is very low, the policy of Russian authorities to quickly force informal entrepreneurs to become legalized is substantially wrong; the results would be either a transformation of “simpleton” into “marginal” businesses or quitting business. Research limitations/implications Research limitations of the study are the number of observations and the localization of the panel only in the capital of Russia. Practical implications The fundamental failure of Russian State policy toward small-scale family businesses is its attempt to convince “marginal” to formalize and to oppress “simpleton” family businesses pushing them into informality. In fact, it should be designed vice versa: tolerate “marginal” businesses and let them to “live and die” while shaping a friendly environment for “simpleton” family firms. Originality/value The paper argues that the most important facet of informality in small family entrepreneurship is the informal property rights and governance duties’ distribution among the family members.

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The Impact of Marketing Strategy in Small Family Businesses

Marketing and Consumer Behavior ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-7357-1.ch083 ◽

2015 ◽

pp. 1695-1707 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Anastasios Ntanos ◽

Stamatios Ntanos

Keyword(s):

Marketing Strategy ◽

Economic Crisis ◽

Second Generation ◽

Family Businesses ◽

Previous Model ◽

Crisis Period ◽

Small Family ◽

First And Second Generation ◽

The Impact ◽

Structured Questionnaire

This chapter refers to small family businesses in Greece and examines the impact of their marketing strategy during an economic crisis period. The research took place in the broad area of Athens between December 2011 and March 2012. Data were collected to form a database of Greek independent private family companies (n=380) using personal interviews (structured questionnaire) with owners/managers of first- and second-generation family businesses. The chapter shows how small family businesses indicate marketing strategy using Carson's model. Limitations of expertise outline the marketing background, which can be described as “self-assisted.” The research offers a verification of a previous model so that problems that arise from companies not putting into practice any marketing concepts can be examined. The significance of the chapter is that there have not formerly been any reviews made about Carson's model in Greece during the economic crisis period emphasizing family businesses.

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Introduction of accounting practices in small family businesses

Qualitative Research in Accounting & Management ◽

10.1108/qram-01-2015-0008 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 111-136 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Esperanza Huerta ◽

Yanira Petrides ◽

Denise O’Shaughnessy

Keyword(s):

Family Business ◽

Perceived Competence ◽

Family Businesses ◽

Service Industries ◽

Business Practices ◽

Managerial Accounting ◽

Content Type ◽

Small Family ◽

The Family ◽

Small Family Business

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.

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Impact of Knowledge Management Processes for Sustainability of Small Family Businesses: Evidences from the Brassware Sector of Moradabad (India)

Journal of Information & Knowledge Management ◽

10.1142/s0219649216500404 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 15 (04) ◽

pp. 1650040 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Priya Dhamija Gupta ◽

Sonali Bhattacharya

Keyword(s):

Knowledge Management ◽

Family Firms ◽

Family Relationship ◽

Uttar Pradesh ◽

Family Businesses ◽

Business Growth ◽

Technology Acquisition ◽

Small Family ◽

Management Processes ◽

Cross Case Analysis

In this research paper, we have studied the role and process of knowledge management in small family businesses at different stages of its growth: startup, business consolidation and succession. We intend to study if in family run MSME clusters education of firm owner gives any edge in the sustainability of the business. There is lack of availability of literature on study of Indian MSME with family business perspective. Our study encompasses factors that stimulate innovation, technology acquisition and business growth and sustainability. Evidences have been drawn from brass manufacturing cluster of Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, India. The research is based on cross-case analysis of six brassware manufacturing units of Moradabad. We attempted to build on existing literature reviews on knowledge management process in family firms and assess how these theories fit in case of small family run export oriented enterprises, which are highly competitive. It was found family relationship, attitude to learn, critical thinking and social capital are keys in determining sustainability of these firms. A theoretical model has been curved out of the study.

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