Management and small family business

This working hypothesis is based on the remark, consolidated in literature, that the economic subject plays a priority role in the minor family business, and he himself is the one who takes on responsibility for running the company. An enterprise is born thanks to the work of an entrepreneur; and will emerge among its competitors in the market thanks to the entrepreneur’s professional skills and expertise. The research method is based on a deductive approach taking into consideration the studies on the subject, pointing out the important role played by the personality of the entrepreneur within the small family business. Quite often, the entrepreneur tends to satisfy several interests, his own interests, family interests, workers’ interests, stakeholders’ interests. Conflicts and tensions among those multiple trends may arise, with the sole consequence of damaging the firm. The theories used (theories are analyzed) to examine the entrepreneurial characteristics of the family business, by following the Resource-based view and learning organization theories, see the “small” business as the peculiar organization unit which may rely on few internal resources to meet the growing complexity of the external environment, and which is capable of maximizing effectiveness thanks to the entrepreneur.