"For the family": Building business in Monterrey, Mexico

The research for this dissertation was conducted over an eight month period in 1987 in Monterrey, Mexico. A combination of ethnographic (participant observation and interviews) and survey methods were used to collect data from four family businesses, community leaders, and Mexican families. The dissertation addresses two limitations in the field of family business research: a lack of a theoretical orientation which provides an explanation for the variations in family businesses across cultures; and gaps in the data in relation to the technoeconomic foundations, the structure and the ideology of family firms. A modified cultural materialist approach was used to explain the nature and structure of family firms in Monterrey. In Monterrey the family has a tremendous impact on the business with a high degree of family participation in the business. Family firms in Monterrey reflect the structure of the Mexican culture with regards to division of labor, decision making and ownership. Finally, the objectives of starting and maintaining a family business grow out of a combination of ideological goals and practical needs.