Development Of Family Businesses Research Articles

Chinese entrepreneurship: the development of small family firms in China

This explorative paper considers the recent developments in the emerging small family business sector in post‐reform China as the country embraces socio‐economic and structural transition from a centrally planned to a market‐orientated system. The important contributions that Chinese small family firms play in the acceleration of private sector development across the social and industrial sectors as well as the geographic boundaries of the Pacific Rim are highlighted. The authors propose typologies of Chinese entrepreneurship and tentative enterprise policy recommendations for the future development of small private family businesses in China.

INHERITANCE, CHINESE FAMILY BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN HONG KONG

This paper focuses on the study of inheritance, Chinese family business and economic development in Hong Kong. In this study, it is found that equal inheritance can assist economic development by generating competition and capital. Equal division is a criterion for sibling comparison. Comparison generates stress and anxiety with each son trying to outdo the other. Competition is therefore galvanized. Furthermore, initial capital that is released from partition can motivate sons, who want to be free from subjugation, to start their own business. This is the origin of the self-employment mentality. Both competition and capital are crucial factors for economic development to take place. The strong desire of self-employment mentality also drives Chinese family business to develop its own type of structure: jia-zu ji-tuan [family-based consortium]. Different family members can be diversified into different businesses or professions. These businesses or professions may or may not relate to each other. However, they maintain a certain level of interconnection under the banner of the family [jia-zu] and can support each other during time of crises and difficulties. They can maintain their domination in the community from generation to generation.

A Management Capacity Constraint? Obstacles to the Development of the Overseas Chinese Family Business

Overseas Chinese family business (OCFBs) have gained a reputation for cost efficiency, responsiveness, and flexibility as original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and as pioneers of the mainland's industrialization. This success is based upon a relatively simple ‘personally managed’ organization operating within a network of kin and ethnic relations. To what extent are mid-sized OCFBs now able to develop the capacity to compete in new strategic domains and manage more complex value chains? The paper examines competing views of the OCFBs organizational and competitive capabilities. The strategies of 50 mid-sized Hong Kong based manufacturing firms are used to provide insight into the questions of capabilities upgrading and long-term competitiveness in personally managed enterprises. In contrast to prevailing cultural and institutional accounts of OCFB behavior, the paper suggests that current (western) theory of the family firm and of organizational networks provides an alternative explanation of observed investment strategies and organizational structure.

Patterns of Development of Family Businesses in Italy

Italy is characterized by a considerable presence of small-, medium-, and even large-sized family businesses. After identifying four types of family businesses, this article analyzes three patterns of development: managerialization, the rise in the number of family partners, and the opening of the capital to nonfamily partners. The article, based on empirical research involving almost seventy Italian enterprises of various sizes, aims at informing an international audience of the state of the art of family businesses in Italy.

Christian Family Businesses: Opportunities for Future Research

Family businesses dominate the business landscape around the world. Traditionally, research has concentrated on understanding the complex processes that underpin the creation, development, and survival of family businesses. To date, however, a Christian perspective on family business research has been largely overlooked. The aim of this paper is to explore the connections between a Christian perspective and the most prevalent business form worldwide. This paper contributes by reviewing relevant literature in the family business field and by suggesting future research paths.