The Influence of Family Business Size on Management Activities, Styles and Characteristics : An International Analysis

Few quantitative studies and few international studies of family businesses exist.While many studies of family firms have examined the stages of firm growth and the generations present within firms, this study investigates the effects of firm size as measured by the number of employees. Family firms from four different countries (Croatia, France, India, and the United States) were surveyed, resulting in a total sample size of 365 respondents. Both one-way ANOVA and chi-square were used to analyze the data according to the hypotheses.Of the 11 hypotheses presented, only 3 were accepted.Two clearly patterned, statistically significant hypotheses revealed that larger firms were more likely to use non-family members in upper management and that they were more likely to use sophisticated methods of financial management. Although the findings were limited, they indicate that firm size may be a relevant factor to consider when studying family businesses.These findings provide a foundation for future research studies in this area. (AKP)