The importance of SME family businesses is evident in society. Coming out of a recession, the innovation, labour absorption and employment creation capabilities of SMEs and family businesses globally, and in emerging economies with high levels of unemployment and poverty, is incredibly important for environmental sustainability and societal harmony. Good governance is empirically proven to improve long-term sustainability of organisations, and poor governance is linked to the demise of many businesses – large and small, family and non-family businesses alike. This research, by means of a thorough literature review of family business and governance, and a single in-depth case study, identifies the components of SME family business governance in a contextual setting in South Africa. The literature review defines SMEs, family businesses and corporate governance. It reviews the nuances of family businesses that make them distinctive from non-family businesses, the models of family businesses that have been developed over time, the approaches to corporate governance, corporate governance codes of conduct, and family business governance models, as well as the components and dynamics of family business governance. The qualitative case study approach adopted enables the in depth contextual identification and exploration of the dynamics of family business governance. Empirical data collected from interviews, observations and reports are analysed using triangulation and pattern matching logic to ensure validity and reliability. Empirical findings are discussed with reference to the literary research findings, integrating literary and empirical findings, and resulting in the development of a conceptual model of family business governance, an SME family business governance structures model, and an SME family business authority delegation model. Governance is defined as the manifestation of the intent of the founder/owners of the business. Governance is manifest in structures, strategies, policies, procedures, relationships and performance. The reciprocity of transfers and outputs between the family business systems, the family business and its contextual environment is reflected in the performance of the business; which in turn is a reflection of the governance of the family and the family business. The study concludes with the importance of the family and its cohesion and harmony, and the impact it has on synergy, unity and harmony in the business. The study also finds that governance is strategic leadership, and that efficient and effective governance leads to synergies between the family, the family business and its contextual environment that when harnessed and directed towards a vision, can produce unimitable competitive advantages for the family firm.

Dissertation Technische Universität München, 2009.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 223-234).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 448-460).

This thesis consists of one literature review and three self-contained essays that discuss management transfers, work incentives and age structures in family firms. In the literature review, I summarize and structure recent studies on management transfer in family firms. The first essay focuses on the incentive effects of age structure in a single firm, and argues that compressed age structures are negatively related to firm performance, which provides a mechanism that causes the underperformance of dynastic management. In the second essay, I extend the single-firm analysis to a multi-firm scenario and find children prefer to work for their own family if the age gap between levels is large. Otherwise, they leave and work for other families. As a result, increased life expectancy leads to the separation between ownership and management, and family-managed firms have more compressed age structures than their professionally managed counterparts. In the third and final essay, I study the issue of self-enforcement in promotion tournaments and find organizations using rank-order contracts may still act opportunistically even when there exists no agency problem between owners and managers. Furthermore, both the wage-seniority profile and governance structure determine the credibility of rank-order contracts, which provides an alternative rationale for returns to seniority and underperformance of dynastic management.

Thesis (PhDBusinessandManagement)--University of South Australia, 2002.

Thesis (PhD)--University of South Australia, 1999

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chuo Daigaku (Japan), 2007. / Adviser: Tanzawa Yasuharu. Original dissertation published by Yushodo Co. Ltd., Tokoyo. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2004. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains x, 77 p. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 57-59).

The primary research objective of this treatise is to determine the role of Muslim women in family businesses. Muslim women actively participate in various private and public sectors of the economy as well as in family businesses. The literature review discusses the family business and its definitions and portrayed the advantages and disadvantages of family businesses. Furthermore, the research explored women in family business and investigated common reasons for joining the family business as well as conflict and success planning experienced by the women in the family business. Thereafter, the literature review discussed the Muslim women in family businesses and highlighted the background of the history of Muslim women in Islam. The Muslim women and their rights in Islam were presented followed by the rules of hijab. An overview of Muslim women in the history of Islam of the past and in the current economy was completed. The literature review then discussed the Muslim women in business and concluded with the Muslim women and their role in family businesses. The research methodology and research design literature lead to a qualitative research strategy being adopted to determine the role of Muslim women in family businesses. A questionnaire was designed and participants from the local Muslim business community who live in Port Elizabeth were approached to participate in the research treatise. The participants were initially contacted telephonically followed by an interview session where the questionnaire was used as a guide to the interview. The main purpose of the structured questionnaire was to determine sufficient data for adequate analysis of the research problem. The data were analysed and recommendations were made to address the primary research objective. The findings presented highlighted the role of Muslim women in family businesses. During the research further opportunities for research were presented, particularly to determine the impact of the Muslim daughter in family business is recommended for future research.