Analysis of the Critical Aspects of the Generational Turnover in Family Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises （SMEs）

Family businesses, which aim at surviving today, have to deal with a precise modality： To ensure their continuity, entrepreneurs have to ensure the transfer of leadership from one generation to another inside of them. We do believe that this matter is worth being analyzed, since the succession, from one generation to another, can be considered as a crucial variable in maintaining family small- and medium-sized enterprises （SMEs） over time. Therefore, after investigating the main features, problems, and factors leading to the succession processes, in the second part of this article, an empirical analysis will be carried out, by comparing several European countries on the basis of data from the European Commission. This article contributes to enriching, from a theoretical point of view, the conceptual framework used for investigating the dynamics in the continuity of SMEs. Moreover, empirically, it contributes to the increasing literature on family businesses by comparing several European countries in order to understand what originates the longevity of family SMEs.

百年民企话家族——访李锦记第四代成员、李锦记集团执行董事李惠森

随着经济全球化的推进和党的十六届三中全会为非公有制经济发展扫清制度障碍之后，成长中的中国民营企业将面临可持续发展的严峻挑战。在共同发展的政治条件和平等竞争的市场环境逐步成熟和完善之际，民营企业如何打破传统的家族管理模式，摆脱企业长不大、做不长的困境，已成为新形势下众多民营企业家深思或实践的重要课题。日前，笔者在深圳对李锦记第四代成员、李锦记集团执行董事李惠森进行了专访。