Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Entrepreneurship of Family Businesses in the European Union

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Doing Business in Europe

Part of the book series: Contributions to Management Science ((MANAGEMENT SC.))

Abstract

Family entrepreneurship as a form of economic activity plays a significant role in enlargement processes, integration and competitiveness improvement policies of the European Union. Family entities in their business strategies must take into account coping with the rules and practices of the European common market and internationalization as well as solve their specific problems related with family relationships and business and multi-generational perspective of functioning. The specific nature of family entrepreneurship requires an understanding of its nature and criteria for distinguishing these entities from other companies. In EU countries, family businesses have dominated the sector of small and medium-sized enterprises but also they play a significant role among large businesses. Family businesses create most jobs and nearly half of GDP, they are also a source of competition and the development of the market mechanism.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

Journal Articles

  • Astrachan JH, Klein SB, Smyrnios KX (2002) The F-PEC scale of family ınfluence: a proposal for solving the family business definition problem. Fam Bus Rev 15(1):45–58

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cadbury A (2000) Family firm and their governance creating tomorrow’s from today. Egon Zehnder International, London, pp 1–3

    Google Scholar 

  • Chua JH, Chrisman JJ, Sharma P (1999) Defining the family business by behavior. Entrepreneur Theory Pract 32(4):19–39

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daszkiewicz N (2014) Internacjonalizacja polskich przedsiębiorstw rodzinnych z perspektywy przedsiębiorczości międzynarodowej. Przedsiębiorczość i Zarządzanie XV(7-1):243–252

    Google Scholar 

  • Frishkoff PA (1995) Understanding family business. Austin Family Business Program, 15 April

    Google Scholar 

  • Gasson R, Crow W, Errington A, Hutson J, Marsden W, D. (1988) The farm as a family business. A review. J Agric Econ 36:1–41

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Handler W (1989) Methodological issues and considerations in studying family businesses. Fam Bus Rev 2:257–276

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herrero I (2011) Agency cost, family ties, and firm efficiency. J Manag 37:887–889

    Google Scholar 

  • Jaskiewicz P, Uhlenbruck K, Balkin DB, Reay T (2013) Is nepotism good or bad? Types of nepotism and ımplications for knowledge management. Fam Bus Rev 26(2):121–139

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klimek J, Lipiec J (2015) Firmy Rodzinne w perspektywie unijnej. Unia Europejska 3(232):30–37

    Google Scholar 

  • Lansberg I (1983) Managing human resources in family firms: the problem of ınstitutional overlap. Organ Dyn 12(1):39–49

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Litz RA (1995) The family business: toward definitional clarity. Fam Bus Rev 8(2):71–81

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller E, Rice AK (1968) Systems of organizations: the control of task and sentient boundaries. Econ J 78(312):937–939

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Opinion (2015) Family businesses in Europe as a source of renewed growth and better jobs. European Economic and Social Committee, EESC-2015-00722-00-00-AC-TRA

    Google Scholar 

  • Sharma P (2004) An overview of the field of family business studies: current status and directions for the future. Fam Bus Rev 17(1):1–36

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Szul E (2013) Social assessment of family businesses’ activities. J Manag Finance 1/4:527–541

    Google Scholar 

  • Wach K (2013) An empirical ınvestigation into the EU policy in favour of business succession among polish family firms. Horiz Polit 4(9):107–133

    Google Scholar 

Books and Book Chapters

  • Chrisman JJ, Chua JH, Sharma P (2003) Current trends and future directions in family business management studies: toward a theory of the family firm. Coleman, Madison, WI, pp 1–6

    Google Scholar 

  • Credit Suisse (2012) Family business: sustaining performance. Credit Suisse, Zurich, p 30

    Google Scholar 

  • Donnelley RG (2002) The family business. In: Aronoff CE, Astrachan JH, Ward JL (eds) Family business sourcebook. Family Enterprise Publishers, Georgia, p 4

    Google Scholar 

  • Entrepreneurship 2020 Action Plan (2013) Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions

    Google Scholar 

  • European Commission (2009) Final report of the expert group – Overview of family-business-relevant ıssues: research, networks, policy measures and existing studies. European Commission, Brussels

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoy F (2014) Entrepreneurial venturing for family business research. The Sage handbook of family business. Sage, Los Angeles, pp 620–628

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • KPMG Enterprise (2015) European family business trends, November

    Google Scholar 

  • Mandl I (2008) Overview of family business relevant ıssues. Final Report, KMU Forschung Austria

    Google Scholar 

  • Marjański A (2015) Family business facing challenges of contemporaty economy. In: Contreras Loera MR, Marjański A (eds) The challenges of management in turbulent times. Universidad de Occidente, Sinaloa, p 42

    Google Scholar 

  • PARP (2009) Family businesses and the Polish economy – opportunities and challenges. Project co-financed by the European Union under the European Social Fund, commissioned by the Human Resources Development Unit (PAED). Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP), Warsaw

    Google Scholar 

  • Putting Small Business First (2008) Europe is good for SMEs, SMEs are good for Europe. European Commission

    Google Scholar 

  • Safin K (2007) Przedsiębiorstwa rodzinne- istota i zachowania strategiczne. AE im. O. Langego, Wrocław, pp 17–18

    Google Scholar 

  • Sharma P, Melin L, Nodqvist M (2014) Scope, evolution and future of family business studies. The Sage handbook of family business. Sage, Los Angeles, pp 1–22

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Small Business Act (2008) Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. Commission of the European Communities, Brussels

    Google Scholar 

  • Sułkowski Ł, Marjański A (2011) Family businesses. Poltext, Warsaw, pp 122–123

    Google Scholar 

  • Sułkowski Ł, Marjański A (2015) Entrepreneurship wave: family business development in free market economy in Poland 1990–2015. In: Gubik AS, Wach K (eds) Institutional aspects of entrepreneurship. University of Miskolc, Miskolc, pp 19–35

    Google Scholar 

  • Surdej A, Wach K (2010) Przedsiębiorstwa rodzinne wobec wyzwań sukcesji. Difin, Warsaw, p 46

    Google Scholar 

  • Więcek-Janka E (2013) Wiodące wartości w zarządzaniu przedsiębiorstwem rodzinnym. Wydawnictwo Politechniki Poznańskiej, Poznań, pp 33–35

    Google Scholar 

On-Line Documents

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Social Sciences, Łódź, Poland

    Łukasz Sułkowski, Andrzej Marjański & Joanna Sułkowska

Authors
  1. Łukasz Sułkowski
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Andrzej Marjański
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Joanna Sułkowska
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Łukasz Sułkowski .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. UNESCO Chair for Business Administration, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania

    Alina Mihaela Dima

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Sułkowski, Ł., Marjański, A., Sułkowska, J. (2018). Entrepreneurship of Family Businesses in the European Union. In: Dima, A. (eds) Doing Business in Europe. Contributions to Management Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72239-9_12

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation