During their process of growth, firms may face several resistances by the family management. Among the different sources of entrepreneurial resistance, this paper focuses on delegation as a challenge that leads to rethinking power relations. Although the allocation of decisions across organisational agents is important for firms’ survival, scholars have overlooked the decision process in small and medium firms due to the concentration of all decision processes in the hands of the owner. However, there comes a time when the owner-manager is no longer able to handle every aspect of the firm’s running and needs to adjust power allocation. This research explores the delegation process in Italian medium-sized family owned SMEs and its effectiveness for growth. The investigation is carried out on the basis of forty qualitative interviews that were collected and analysed through thematic analysis. Findings showed two main types of delegation, highlighting the impact of formal and informal managerial practices on its effectiveness and efficiency.

Resistance to Delegation in Italian family owned SMEs / Maria Sicca, Luigi; Bizjak, Davide; Giustiniano, Luca. - WILL EMPLOYEES DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP? IMPACTS OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES WITHIN AND BEYOND THE WORKPLACE, (2020), pp. - (WOA 2020, Milan, Italy, February 6-7, 2020).

Resistance to Delegation in Italian family owned SMEs

Luca Giustiniano
2020

Abstract

During their process of growth, firms may face several resistances by the family management. Among the different sources of entrepreneurial resistance, this paper focuses on delegation as a challenge that leads to rethinking power relations. Although the allocation of decisions across organisational agents is important for firms’ survival, scholars have overlooked the decision process in small and medium firms due to the concentration of all decision processes in the hands of the owner. However, there comes a time when the owner-manager is no longer able to handle every aspect of the firm’s running and needs to adjust power allocation. This research explores the delegation process in Italian medium-sized family owned SMEs and its effectiveness for growth. The investigation is carried out on the basis of forty qualitative interviews that were collected and analysed through thematic analysis. Findings showed two main types of delegation, highlighting the impact of formal and informal managerial practices on its effectiveness and efficiency.
2020
Delegation, Organization design, SMEs, family business, growth, formality, informality
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11385/193039
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