Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to elaborate an empirical model of how small, family-owned companies can overcome the barriers that have been shown in different disciplines to hinder the implementation of lean production in this category of enterprises. Design/methodology/approach: A...

The recent labor reforms implemented in Italy by the so-called "technocratic" Monti Government have challenged the traditional role of trade unions. On one side, the reforms in the pension and labor market have been approved without real consultation or bargaining with social parties, under the...