The Dilemma of Employment and Small Family Business Growth

James Cunningham () and Simon S. Fraser ()
Additional contact information
James Cunningham: Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen Business School
Simon S. Fraser: Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen Business School

A chapter in Management of SMEs and Startups, 2026, pp 149-169 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract This chapter explores an area of small business management often over-looked, employment issues in small family business. Through our discussions, we present a complex scenario involving emotion, perception, power, and status. Our findings challenge the usefulness of abstracted concepts such as agency cost and stewardship. Instead, we find more value in exposing the internal relational dynamics of small family businesses, as the organisations seek growth and are introduced to the tensions of varied employment expectations. The treatment of nonfamily employees is highlighted as an indicator of the managerial dilemma faced, and the implications that employment practices have for the trajectory of the business. To illustrate our theoretical arguments, we draw from three case vignettes. Each vignette offers a unique perspective on approaches to employment and the implications this has for organisational development. We find the management of people in small family businesses to be a daunting task, a paradox to be navigated as the business grows.

Keywords: Family business; Employment; Agency; Stewardship; Growth; Nonfamily (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:fgfchp:978-3-032-17538-0_7

Ordering information: This item can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/9783032175380

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-17538-0_7

Access Statistics for this chapter

More chapters in FGF Studies in Small Business and Entrepreneurship from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().