Environmental, economic and social challenges in the value chain of the timber sector of Puebla State

The Mexican forest sector faces overexploitation, illegal logging, deforestation, lack of government subsidies, and irregular agricultural growth, all of which reduces its competitiveness. This study analyzes the capacity of forestry businesses to adapt to environmental, economic, and social challenges in district VII of Tehuacán and Sierra Negra, in the state of Puebla. A mixed approach was used, with an exploratory scope and a cross-section design. In 2021, 16 timber producers (sawmills), 12 traders (timber companies), and 38 final consumers (construction companies-carpentries) were selected for convenience. A structured survey was applied with demographic data, environmental and sustainable management perceptions (the reference was the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations), organizational, legal, and socioeconomic data. Results showed that the most benefited agent during COVID-19 was the sawmill (44 %), which, together with the timber companies, are family businesses (75 % and 92 %, respectively). Respondents are willing to adapt to economic challenges, however, their ability to cope with environmental and economic development will be long-term. Sawmills try to protect and maintain forested areas but lack external support. In the social aspect, the participation of men prevails. The final consumer is more interested in wood price (58 %) than in its legal origin (42 %). Future research could increase the sample size, apply random sampling, and include other regions both within and outside Mexico. © 2022 by the Author(s).

How is risk different in family and non-family businesses? A comparative statistical analysis during the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose>Risk is part of corporate activity and a consequence of the businesses' demands, the market and the changes in companies and their surroundings. The way that risk is managed is different between family and non-family businesses. The paper aims to compare the different risk types experienced in the context of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic among family and non-family businesses and to analyze whether operational, legal, strategic and image risks influence financial risks.Design/methodology/approach>The nature of the study is quantitative and based on a questionnaire survey that analyses the perception of risks by 1,090 family businesses and 557 non-family businesses.Findings>The results show the existence of statistically significant differences in the perception of financial and legal risks between family and non-family businesses, where the former being the businesses that give more importance to these risks. The perception of operational, legal, strategic and image risks have a positive influence on the perception of financial risk in family and non-family businesses.Originality/value>The results obtained in the study are important because they allow an understanding about the differences in risk management between family and non-family businesses, which can lead to greater corporate sustainability and increased financial performance.

The impact of family business brand trust and crisis management practices on customer purchase intention during Covid-19

Purpose The aim of the current study is to investigate the effect of consumers' brand trust in family businesses and the impact of crisis management practices on customer purchase intention during the period of Covid-19. Design/methodology/approach This is a primary quantitative research on a sample of 817 consumers who bought products from 20 food and beverage family companies. Simple random sampling was used to collect the primary data. Data collection was made with the use of questionnaires. The questionnaires were developed based on previous studies and were tested in terms of reliability and validity. Findings The research findings indicate, among others, that there is a positive significant relationship between brand trust and purchase intention. As a result, the higher the trust of the consumers in a family business brand name, the higher their intention to make purchases. Additionally, it was found that the higher the performance of family businesses on crisis management practices, the more the consumers intent to make purchases. Research limitations/implications Nonetheless, there are some limitations in the current research. First, the research sample consists of companies and consumers from a specific location, which can create issues regarding the generalization of the findings. Thus, to ensure improved research implications, a future research should include sample units from different locations and countries in order to reinforce the research findings and enable comparisons and more easily generalized outcomes. Moreover, a future research could assess additional factors that potentially affect purchase intention within a family business environment. Factors such as human resources and the relationship between customers and companies as well as communication and promotional efforts will allow the creation of a more stable and holistic framework and the prediction of consumer behavior. This potential follow-up research will further contribute to the theoretical argumentation of the findings and highlight the connection among purchase intention, trust and crisis managements practices within the family business environment. Practical implications Regarding the managerial and practical implications, the research outcomes can lead to specific strategies related to brand trust and crisis management practices. Specifically, family companies should invest on their brand name and their relationship with the consumers by reinforcing any action which can potentially affect the trust of the consumers. This could be realized by providing a safe purchase environment according to health and safety standards and through their response strategy and adaptability to the current pandemic conditions through the use of crisis management practices. Finally, a practical response to social and physical distancing measures would increase brand trust, and the performance on crisis management practices could also lead to sufficient financial outcomes since all these factors positively affect consumers' purchase intention. Originality/value The outbreak of the pandemic directly affected the profitability but also the viability of companies, regardless of industry. In particular, the impact that the pandemic had on family businesses, financially, organizationally and operationally, was massive and in many cases, catastrophic. Several studies have focused on family businesses, analyzing their structure, advantages and disadvantages. However, in these studies, there is little focus on the brand's influence on consumer behavior and market intention, especially compared to nonfamily businesses and under unique circumstances such as those of a pandemic.

Unveiling the Direct Effects of Family Firm Heterogeneity on Environmental Performance

By combining agency theory and the resource- and capabilities-based view, this paper aims to unveil the influence of family firm heterogeneity on environmental performance. Previous results are inconsistent about how the specific features of this type of business contribute to better environmental protection performance. We analyse a number of variables related to the management, ownership and corporate governance characteristics of the family business and their individual influence on environmental performance. We test our hypotheses using a database of 748 family firms in the Spanish tourism sector. This economic sector, which is mostly composed of family businesses, puts great pressure on the environment. As such, family firms must take an active role in the resolution of the environmental problems that afflict society. We find that the effects of a family-controlled ownership and management structure on environmental performance are negative. Family-founder firms with a high degree of family control also are shown to have a negative relationship with environmental performance. However, the existence of a formal management mechanism, such as a management committee, emerges as the most powerful structural factor in facilitating the achievement of environmental objectives. The conclusions drawn from this study allow us to outline future lines of research as well as recommendations for practitioners. Our study responds to the call made in the literature to delve deeper into the heterogeneity of the family business, and specifically to determine which of its characteristic features allow this type of business to achieve better environmental performance.

Contingent factors related to investments in research and development

Purpose: The study aims to analyze the contingent factors associated with investment decisions in R&D in family and non-family businesses. Methodology: The research was carried out through a survey, and the sample consisted of 47 companies in the industrial sector located in the states of the southern region of Brazil. Of the 47 responding companies, 26 are family businesses and 21 are characterized as non-family businesses. Companies are observed based on contingent characteristics: (i) in terms of time of activity, (ii) number of employees and (iii) management structure - whether family or non-family businesses, and how such factors relate to investments in R&D. The analysis was performed using descriptive statistics techniques and the analysis using the Chi-square test. Results: The results show significance between the time of activity of the companies, the number of employees and the management structure, with the perception that investments in R&D are necessary for the continuity of the business. It was identified that companies with the highest number of employees (above a thousand) are more interested in investments in R&D for business continuity. Companies with more than 50 years of activity are more interested in investments in R&D as a competitiveness strategy. The Covid-19 pandemic did not interfere with R&D investments in most companies in the sample. In general, the results show that contingency factors related to the structure of organizations are related to investments in R&D, both in family businesses and in non-family businesses. Contributions of the Study: The findings suggest that family businesses (larger and with a greater number of employees) tend to invest in R&D, as much as non-family businesses, in order to remain competitive. These results contribute to reflections and possibilities for further studies on the specificities of family businesses.

Impact of COVID-19 on family business performance: evidence from listed companies in Germany

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has hit different industries and firms with widely differing degrees of severity. The authors investigate whether ownership structure (family vs non-family) might represent a differentiating factor. The article's purpose is to conduct an initial, descriptive analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on different stock and operating performance measures of listed German companies. Design/methodology/approach: The authors use a sample of 299 listed companies in Germany and gathered operating as well as stock market performance data following the outbreak of COVID-19. For the purpose of this paper, the authors solely focus on static and descriptive observations thus far. The intention of this paper is to describe potential implications for more differentiated, especially multivariate causal research, on family businesses in a post-COVID world. Findings: The results indicate that, over the last five years, stock returns of family businesses have been higher than those of non-family firms. This effect seems to have been more pronounced during the first month following the COVID-19 outbreak. When applying operating measures, the outperformance becomes even more evident. The findings therefore seem to support the hypothesis proffered in the literature that family involvement enhances the potential for resilience in such firms. Originality/value: Scholars on COVID-19 crisis performance have begun to explore firm-level factors related to financial and organizational factors, industry characteristics and country-level factors. The research extends this line of inquiry by probing the importance of family involvement in ownership. © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited.

How consumers relate to wine during COVID-19-a comparative, two nation study

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine consumers' relationship with wine during the COVID-19 crisis and associated implications for hospitality and tourism operations. Despite the severe impacts of COVID-19's aftermath, including recent reports of a global decrease in wine consumption, academic research has neglected this domain. Consequently, there is an empirical and conceptual vacuum that the present research will address. Design/methodology/approach The study proposes a comparative investigation, with data gathered from 241 Italian and Spanish wine consumers through an online questionnaire. Findings Overall, the analysis reveals marginal changes in wine consumption during the crisis. At the same time, however, an increased interest for more wine events and an organised wine route, for learning more about wines and new wine harvests, and the influence of comments from others in enhancing one's wine knowledge during the crisis is also identified. Originality/value The study is one of the few studies conducted to date that seek to ascertain the extent to which wine consumers' involvement with wine has changed during a major crisis. The findings and subsequent analysis contribute to the development of five distinctive dimensions associated with consumers: the more involved/interested, the inquisitive/explorer, the non-traditional/avid, the frugal/less involved and the conservative/avid. The first two dimensions, which are supported by mean scores close to the level of agreement (mean = 4.0) have a number of practical and conceptual implications. In addition, a conceptual framework illustrating various conceptual/empirical relationships is proposed.

A Study on Growth Engines of Middle Market Enterprise (MME) of Korea Using Meta-Analysis

The purpose of this study is to comprehensively review previous studies and discover implications for the sustainable growth engines of middle market enterprise (MME) of Korea using meta-analysis. Since Germany’s hidden champion companies are considered as benchmarking targets because their economic environment and size are similar to those of Korean MMEs, a meta-analysis was conducted on the previous studies of them. As a result of integrating the effect sizes of input and output factors according to the process of the Program Logic model from the viewpoint of dynamic capabilities, 198 in Germany and 229 in Korea were derived. It was found that, unlike Korean companies, the number of skilled workers, labor productivity, CEO experience, and Innovation activities within the firm had a significant impact on Germany’s hidden champion companies. In addition, industry and region-oriented innovation networks and family businesses were identified as important variables. Meta-analysis collects a large number of individual studies in order to integrate the results and statistically assess the data. As a result, it will be used as basic data for developing models for academic research in the future. In addition, it will provide implications for sectors in which Korean MMEs should concentrate their efforts in order to create an innovative ecosystem.

Ethnic Albanian family businesses and COVID-19 pandemic: a gender-based comparison

PurposeThis qualitative research aims to analyze the effects of the global crisis known as COVID-19 in family businesses in North Macedonia and defines the strategies that Albanian entrepreneurs have used to overcome the pandemic.Design/methodology/approachThe purpose of this study is to conduct a gender comparison between the behaviors of ten men entrepreneurs with ten women entrepreneurs in the city of Skopje. The data we collected by the interview method. The interviews were conducted by phone from June 1 to June 15.FindingsThe results of this research show that women entrepreneurs have overcome the crisis through defensive strategy compared to men entrepreneurs who have used more offensive approach. Due to the pandemic, the majority of women entrepreneurs have lost incomes, labor and clients. Men entrepreneurs have maintained their employees with the minimum salaries, but they have suffered the same loss in the aspect of revenues and clients. Findings show that in the category of women-owned enterprises lower financial results have shown those who operate in the textile industry and beauty salons. In companies with men entrepreneurship, the biggest loss is estimated in the luxury jewelry industry and restaurants, while pharmacies, supermarkets and detergent manufacturing companies proved to be profitable. Even companies that have shown high financial performance have encountered considerable problems in supplying raw materials due to the pandemic. This research will help SMEs in our country with useful suggestions to make the right decisions for the mentioned issue.Research limitations/implicationsThere are some limitations in this study that should be considered a guide for future research. First, this research includes only Albanian entrepreneurs located in the city of Skopje. The investigation will be complete if we add a more significant number of Albanian entrepreneurs from more cities in North Macedonia. Second, considering that this paper's topic is new, we did not have enough literature to compare or enrich the study. Third, due to the current situation caused by the virus, we have faced difficulties in convincing entrepreneurs over the phone to respond in our questionnaires.Originality/valueThis paper addresses a new topic comparing Albanian entrepreneurs' behaviors based on their gender in overcoming the pandemic in Skopje, North Macedonia.

Organizational resilience in hospitality family businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative approach

PurposeThis study targeted hospitality family business owners as essential pillars of the tourism industry. How they perceive aspects of the crisis and what they derive organizational resilience from, including the role of their human resources, are explored. Internal and external factors of resilience are analyzed alongside different levels of resilience action.Design/methodology/approachThe World Health Organization announced coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a pandemic on March 11, 2020. In Tirol, the hospitality industry has particularly been affected as tourism businesses find themselves in the challenging times of returning to normal business, corresponding to the fourth phase in Faulkner’s (2001) Tourism Disaster Management Framework. The authors used a qualitative exploratory approach, using semi-structured interviews.FindingsIn taking on a holistic explorative approach, the authors determined several methods used by entrepreneurs in dealing with a pandemic crisis to increase business resilience at a specific stage. Internal and external resilience factors have been detected among three levels of resilience action (personal, regional and governmental). The most surprising result of the semi-structured in-depth interviews was the entrepreneurs’ rather positive outlook.Originality/valueGenerally, this study creates an in-depth understanding of the tourism businesses in their dealing with a global crisis, using family business owners as an exemplary stakeholder group. The authors bridge a gap in the literature by applying a holistic explorative approach in the early stage of a never seen worldwide crisis and by addressing organizational resilience. Three levels of resilience action give new insight into how the beginning of a pandemic crisis is handled and perceived by hospitality family business entrepreneurs.

Management research contributions to the COVID-19: a bibliometric literature review and analysis of the contributions from the Journal of Management & Organization

The COVID-19 health crisis triggered changes in the workplace. This paper explores the insights from scholarly work published in the Journal of Management and Organization (JMO) and systematizes this body of knowledge to build a scientific overview that looks at how the COVID-19 health crisis and its repercussions may be managed by organizations. We conducted a bibliometric investigation of JMO's most influential papers published from 1995 to June 2020 that offers insights into the management of the COVID-19 crisis. Our bibliometric investigation reveals six clusters: (1) conservation of resources theory, entrepreneurs, gender and work-family conflict;(2) corporate governance, corporate social responsibility and stakeholder salience;(3) family firms, innovation and research methods;(4) creativity, leadership and organizational change;(5) job satisfaction and psychological empowerment;and (6) team performance. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our findings.

Organizational resilience in hospitality family businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative approach

Purpose This study targeted hospitality family business owners as essential pillars of the tourism industry. How they perceive aspects of the crisis and what they derive organizational resilience from, including the role of their human resources, are explored. Internal and external factors of resilience are analyzed alongside different levels of resilience action. Design/methodology/approach The World Health Organization announced coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a pandemic on March 11, 2020. In Tirol, the hospitality industry has particularly been affected as tourism businesses find themselves in the challenging times of returning to normal business, corresponding to the fourth phase in Faulkner's (2001) Tourism Disaster Management Framework. The authors used a qualitative exploratory approach, using semi-structured interviews. Findings In taking on a holistic explorative approach, the authors determined several methods used by entrepreneurs in dealing with a pandemic crisis to increase business resilience at a specific stage. Internal and external resilience factors have been detected among three levels of resilience action (personal, regional and governmental). The most surprising result of the semi-structured in-depth interviews was the entrepreneurs' rather positive outlook. Originality/value Generally, this study creates an in-depth understanding of the tourism businesses in their dealing with a global crisis, using family business owners as an exemplary stakeholder group. The authors bridge a gap in the literature by applying a holistic explorative approach in the early stage of a never seen worldwide crisis and by addressing organizational resilience. Three levels of resilience action give new insight into how the beginning of a pandemic crisis is handled and perceived by hospitality family business entrepreneurs.