Corporate entrepreneurship education’s impact on family business sustainability: A case study in Brazil

Abstract

Family businesses display distinctive characteristics as compared with non-family companies, and family firms are of great importance to the global economy, which means that more research is needed on how to promote their growth and sustainability. Despite the prevalence of family business, they still need to actively engage in corporate entrepreneurship education in order to stay competitive. This study sought to analyze the effects of corporate entrepreneurship education on a Brazilian family business and to confirm whether company's investment in corporate entrepreneurship education has, over time, promoted competitive advantages, ensured sustainability, and facilitated a carefully planned succession process. The methodology was an exploratory-descriptive case study based on qualitative data based on individual's perceptions then subjected to discourse analysis. The data were gathered from interviews with the top management of the family firm under study in order to understand their perceptions of corporate entrepreneurship education. The results reveal that the company presents the expected family business characteristics and that the firm's investment in corporate entrepreneurship education has ensured its growth and sustainability and facilitated a smoother succession process. These findings indicate that the perception regarding investment in corporate entrepreneurship education contributing to family businesses' sustainability is generally positive. Based on the prevailing theories, these firms are extremely likely to cease to exist from the third generation onward often due to successors' lack of professional skills and the predominance of hiring based on relationships rather than qualifications. This study's results provide empirical evidence of how investing in corporate entrepreneurship education adds value to family businesses.