The Evolution of Family Entrepreneurship in Poland: Main Findings Based on Surveys and Interviews from 2009-2018


Abstract

Objective: The article deals with the issue of family entrepreneurship, which plays an increasingly important role in the Polish economy. The aim of the article is to discuss the phenomenon of family entrepreneurship in Poland in market economy and to explore the evolution of family businesses.
Research Design & Methods: The article is based on the review of the literature on the subject, its critical analysis and the results of empirical research conducted in this field by the authors in the years 2009-2018.
Findings: In their development, family businesses need to take into account coping with the principles and practices of market economy and internationalisation processes, as well as problems related to family and business relationships that are specific only to them and multi-generational perspective of functioning. Being successful requires a development strategy thanks to which the businesses build their own brand, improve management processes, introduce innovations and adapt their market behaviour.
Implications & Recommendations: Understanding the specificity of family entrepreneurship requires learning their essence and criteria for distinguishing these entities from other enterprises. The key factor is the duality of relations between the family and the business it runs.
Contribution & Value Added: The originality of this work lies in cross-years comparisons of empirical research conducted by the same researches in the field of family entrepreneurship.


Keywords

family firms; strategy; entrepreneurship; research methods

Aldrich, H.E., & Ruef, M. (2006). Organizations Evolving. London: Sage.

Astrachan, J. (2003). Commentary on the special issue: The emergence of a field. Journal of Busi-ness Venturing, 18(5), 567-572.

Astrachan, J.H., & Shanker, M.C. (2003). Family Businesses Contribution to the US Economy: a Closer Look. Family Business Review, 16(3), 211-219.

Barney, J. (1991). Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Journal of Management, 17(1), 99-120.

Bednarz, J., Bieliński, T., Nikodemska-Wołowik, A.M., & Otukoya, A. (2017). Sources of the Competitive Advantage of Family Enterprises: An International Approach Focusing on China, Nigeria and Poland. Entrepreneurial Business and Economics Review, 5(2), 123-142. https://doi.org/10.15678/EBER.2017.050207

Bilan, Y., Lyeonov, S., Vasylieva, T., & Samusevych, Y. (2018). Does tax competition for capital define entrepreneurship trends in eastern europe?. On-line Journal Modelling the New Europe, (27), 34-66.

Binz-Astrachan, C., Botero, I.C., Astrachan, J.H., & Prügl, R. (2018). Branding the family firm: a review of foundations, current knowledge, and avenues for further research. Journal of Family Business Strategy, 9(1), 1-13.

Bird, B., Welsch, H., Astrachan, J.H., & Pistrui, D. (2002). Family business research: The evolution of an academic field. Family Business Review, 15(4), 337-350.

Chrisman J.J, Chua J.H., & Steier, L.P. (2003), An Introduction to Theories of Family Business. Jour-nal of Business Venturing, 18, 441-448.

Chrisman, J.J., Chua, J.H, & Sharma, P. (2003a). Current trends and future directions in family business management studies: Toward a theory of the family firm. Coleman White Paper Series, no 41.

Cristiano E. (2017). Specific Features of Family Businesses: A Contribution to Literature. In M. Bilgin, H. Danis, E. Demir, & U. Can (Eds.), Financial Environment and Business Development (Eurasian Studies in Business and Economics, 4. Cham: Springer.

Czapiński, J., & Panek, T. (Eds.) (2011). Social diagnosis 2011. Objective and subjective quality of life in Poland. Contemporary Economics, 5(3), 14-61.

Gasson, R., Crow, W., Errington, A., Hutson, J., Marsden, T., & Winter, D. (1988). The farm as a family business. A Review. Journal of Agricultural Economics, 36, 1-41.

Gómez-Mejía. L.R., Haynes, K.T., Núñez-Nickel, M., Jacobson, K.J.L., & Moyano-Fuentes, J. (2007). Socioemotional wealth and business risks in family controlled firms: Evidence from Spanish olive oil mills. Administrative Science Quarterly, 52(1), 106-137.

Hadryś-Nowak, A. (2018). Family Entrepreneurship Orientation in Family Owned SMEs: A Key Resource for Internationalization?. Entrepreneurial Business and Economics Review, 6(2), 153-169. https://doi.org/10.15678/EBER.2018.060208

Handler, W.C. (1989). Methodological issues and considerations in studying family businesses. Family Business Review, 2(3), 257-276.

Harris, R., Martinez, J., & Ward, J. (1994). Is strategy different for the family-owned business?. Family Business Review, 7(2), 159-174.

Hoy, F. (2014). Entrepreneurial Venturing for Family Business Research. In L. Melin, M. Nordqvist, & P. Sharma (Eds.), The Sage Handbook of Family Business (pp. 620-628). Los Angeles: Sage.

Ibrahim, N.A., Angelidis, J.P., & Parsa, F. (2008), Strategic management of family businesses: current findings and directions for future research. International Journal of Management, 25(1), 95-110.

IFERA. (2003). International Family Enterprise Research Academy (Family businesses dominate. Family Business Review, 16(4), 235-240. https://doi.org/10.1177/08944865030160040201

Ivanová, E. (2017). Barriers to the development of SMEs in the Slovak Republic. Oeconomia Coper-nicana, 8(2), 255-272. https://doi.org/10.24136/oc.v8i2.16.

Jeżak, J. (2014). Przedsiębiorczość rodzinna na świecie – rola i znaczenia oraz cechy specyficzne. In J. Jeżak (Ed.), Przedsiębiorstwa rodzinne w Polsce. Łódź: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Łódzkie-go.

Korcsmáros, E., & Šimova, M. (2018). Factors affecting the business environment of SMEs in Nitra region in Slovakia. Oeconomia Copernicana, 9(2), 309-331. https://doi.org/10.24136/oc.2018.016.

Kot, S., Meyer, N., Broniszewska, A. (2016), A Cross-Country Comparison of the Characteristics of Polish and South African Women Entrepreneurs, Economics and Sociology, 9(4), 207-221. DOI: 10.14254/2071-789X.2016/9-4/13

Lansberg, I. (1983). Managing Human Resources in Family Firms: The Problem of Institutional Overlap. Organizational Dynamics, 12(1), 39-49.

Leszczewska, K. (2017). The concept of the business model of the family businesses. Research on Enterprise in Modern Economy – Theory and Practice, 3(22), 125-136.

Lumpkin, G.T., & Brigham, K.H. (2011). Long-term orientation and intertemporal choice in family firms. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 35(6), 1149-1169.

Marjański, A., & Staniszewska, K. (2017). Kapitał społeczny rodziny jako źródło stymulacji tworzenia i rozwoju małych i średnich przedsiębiorstw rodzinnych w Polsce. Przedsiębiorczość i Zarządzanie, XV (7[1]), 197-209.

Marjański, A., Staniszewska, K., & Marjańska-Potakowska, J. (2018). Zrozumienie specyfiki małych i średnich przedsiębiorstw rodzinnych jako źródło synergii w relacjach z administracją pu-bliczną. Przedsiębiorczość i Zarządzanie, XIX(7[1]), 275-287.

McMillan, J., & Woodruff Ch. (2003). The central role of entrepreneurs in transition economies. In G.S. Fields & G. Pfeffermann (Eds.), Pathways Out of Poverty (pp. 105-121). Dordrech: Sprin-ger. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-0009-3_6

Miller, D., & Le Breton-Miller, I. (2006). The best of both worlds: Exploitation and exploration in successful family businesses. Advances in Strategic Management, 23, 215-240.

Ministry of Industry and Trade in Poland. (1995). Małe i średnie przedsiębiorstwa w gospodarce narodowej. Warszawa: Ministerstwo Przemysłu i Handlu.

Moss, T.W., Payne, G.T., & Moore, C.B. (2014). Strategic Consistency of Exploration and Exploita-tion in Family Businesses. Family Business Review, 27(1), 51-71.

Nowak, S. (1981). Values and attitudes of the Polish people. Scientific American, 245, 45-53.

PARP. (2014). Report on the condition of small and medium-sized enterprise sector in Polnad in 2012-2013. Warszaw: Polish Agency for Enterprise Development.

Petrů, N., & Havlíček, K. (2017). Family entrepreneurship in the Czech Republic on the verge of first generation handover. Journal of International Studies, 10(4), 119-130. doi:10.14254/2071-8330.2017/10-4/9

Rogalska, E. (2018). Multiple-criteria analysis of regional entrepreneurship conditions in Poland. Equilibrium. Quarterly Journal of Economics and Economic Policy, 13(4), 707-723. https://doi.org/10.24136/eq.2018.034.

Safin, K. (2014). Strategie i praktyki sukcesyjne polskich przedsiębiorstw rodzinnych. Prace Nau-kowe Uniwersytetu Ekonomicznego we Wrocławiu, 366, 449-459.

Sharma, P. (2004). An overview of the field of family business studies: current status and directions for the future. Family Business Review, 17(1), 1-36.

Sharma, P., Christman, J.J., & Gersick, K.E. (2012). 25 Years of Family Business Review: Reflection on the Past and Perspectives for the Future. Family Business Review, 25(1), 5-15.

Sharma, P., Melin, L. & Nodqvist, M. (2014). Scope, Evolution and Future of Family Business Studies. In L. Melin, M. Nordqvist & P. Sharma (Eds.), The Sage Handbook of Family Business. Los Angeles: Sage.

Simon, H. (2009). Hidden Champions of the 21st Century. New York: Springer.

Sirmon, D.G., & Hitt, M.A. (2003). Managing resources: Linking unique resources, management, and health creation in family firms. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 27(4), 339-358.

Sułkowski, Ł., Marjański, A. Kowalewska, A., Lewandowska, B., Kwiatkowska, M., & Krynicki, T.J. (2009). Family Businesses and the Polish Economy – Opportunities and Challenges. Warszawa: Polish Agency for Enterprise Development.

Sułkowski, Ł., & Marjański, A. (2011). Specific nature of Polish small and medium-sized family businesses – conclusion from empirical studies, In A.Z. Nowak, B. Glinka & P. Hensel (Eds.), Competition Ethics Management (pp. 147-167). Warsaw: University of Warsaw.

Sułkowski, Ł., & Marjański, A. (2014). Metodyka badań firm rodzinnych. Przedsiębiorczość i Zarzą-dzanie, XV(7-I), 11-21.

Sułkowski, Ł., & Marjański, A. (2014a). Metodyka badań jakościowych w małych podmiotach ro-dzinnych. Problemy Zarządzania, 12(3[47]), 222-23, https://doi/10.71772/1644-9584.47.12

Sułkowski, Ł., & Marjański, A. (2015). Polish small and medium-sized family businesses – trajecto-ries of success. Management & Gouvernance, 13, 75-94.

Sułkowski, Ł., & Marjański, A. (2018). Duo-ethnography as the Qualitative Inquiry in Small Family Business Research. Management, 22(2), 95-109. https://doi/10.2478/manment-2018-0025

Surdej, A., & Wach, K. (2011). Succession Choices in Family Businesses: The Case of Poland. Toruń: Wydawnictwo Adam Marszałek.

Szaban, J., & Skrzek-Lubasińska, M. (2018). Self-employment and entrepreneurship: A theoretical approach. Journal of Management and Business Administration. Central Europe, 26(2), 89-120.

Sztompka, P. (1998), The cultural imponderables of rapid social change: trust, loyalty, solidarity. Polish Sociological Review, 121, 45-56.

Toften, K., & Hammervoll, T. (2010). Strategic orientation of niche firms. Journal of Research in Marketing and Entrepreneurship, 12(2), 108-121.

Ubrežiová, I., Wach, K., & Horváthová, J. (2018). Entrepreneurship in small and medium-sized enterprises: Comparative study between Slovakia and Poland for the years 2001-2007. Agri-cultural Economics, 54(8), 358-366.

Wach, K. (2015). Środowisko biznesu rodzinnego jako symulanta intencji przedsiębiorczych mło-dzieży akademickiej. Przedsiębiorczość i Zarządzanie, XVI(7), 25-40.

Wach, K. (2017). Exploring the Role of Ownership in International Entrepreneurship: How does Ownership Affect Internationalisation of Polish Firms?. Entrepreneurial Business and Economics Review, 5(4), 205-224. https://doi/10.15678/EBER.2017.050410

Więcek-Janka, E., Contreras Loera, M.R., Kijewska, J., & Tirado, G. (2016). Competencies’ model in the succession process of family firms with the use of grey clustering analysis. ZN Politechniki Poznańskiej Organizacja i Zarządzanie, 70, 215-226, https://doi/10.21008/j.0239-9415.2016.070.16

Wilson, S.R., Whitmoyer, J.G., Pieper, T.M., Astrahan, J.H., Hair, J.F. Jr., & Sarstedt, M. (2014). Method Trends and Method needs: Examining Methods Needed for Accelerating, the Field. Journal of Family Business Strategy, 5, 4-14.

Zygmunt, J. (2018). Entrepreneurial activity drivers in the transition economies. Evidence from the Visegrad countries. Equilibrium. Quarterly Journal of Economics and Economic Policy, 13(1), 89-103. https://doi.org/10.24136/eq.2018.005.

Download

Published : 2018-10-11


MarjańskiA., & Sułkowski Łukasz. (2018). The Evolution of Family Entrepreneurship in Poland: Main Findings Based on Surveys and Interviews from 2009-2018. Entrepreneurial Business and Economics Review, 7(1), 95-116. https://doi.org/10.15678/EBER.2019.070106

Andrzej Marjański  amarjanski@san.edu.pl
University of Social Scicnces in Łódź  Poland
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6534-2632
Łukasz Sułkowski 
University of Social Scicnces in Łódź  Poland
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1248-2743




Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

  1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a CC BY-ND licence that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
  2. Authors are asked to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

 Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) only the final version of the article, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access). We advise using any of the following research society portals: