Purpose -In recent years, small family businesses in Mexico have come under enormous pressure from their external environment: this has resulted in serious problems affecting the running of their businesses, leading ultimately to a drop off in sales, customers and market share. Some have attempted to respond to this environment by using the Japanese approach of kaizen (meaning continuous improvement). The purpose of this paper is to ask if the kaizen approach is implemented in a specific environment such as that of small family businesses in Mexico. Design/methodology/approach -In this study, qualitative research was conducted using case studies as the research strategy. Two small, family-run Mexican businesses were selected and studied (a restaurant and hotel) and a retrospective focus was adopted; four methods were used to gather data: direct observation; participative observation; documentary analysis; and semi-structured interviews. Findings -The findings of the three case studies show that the kaizen approach can be applied to small family businesses in Mexico, but that the degree of implementation depends on the evolutionary stage of each family business. Consequently, for this first exploratory study, it was found that, in the start-up stage, only the First Guiding Principle of kaizen was observed, along with some indications for the Fourth Guiding Principle. Whereas for the expansion stage, the consolidated presence of the Second, Fourth and Fifth Guiding Principle of kaizen was observed. Finally, it was possible to identify certain techniques and tools at every stage in addition to the Guiding Principle. In closing, the exploratory study made it possible to investigate the major enablers and inhibitors that a family business goes through. Research limitations/implications -Research was based in two case studies. However, rather than seeking empirical generalisation, the research tried to examine and explore how the kaizen approach is applied in a specific environment such as that of a sports organisation dedicated to football in Mexico. Practical implications -The paper aspires to be of interest as much to researchers as to professionals in the family business context, whether they have top management responsibilities or are middle managers, and also to all those employees whose work is related to this sector, with the aim of understanding the management of small family businesses in Mexico from the kaizen perspective. Originality/value -A review of academic and practitioner literature on the subject indicated that implementation of the kaizen approach in family businesses had scarcely begun to be explored. It is also significant that in Mexico and Latin America, examples of the implementation of this kind of approach are practically non-existent in academic literature on family businesses.
Purpose The main objective of this manuscript is to describe the current situation of a sample of family business and their response to COVID-19 pandemic. This exploratory study analyzes a series of challenges faced by this type of firm in Latin America. This study puts special focus on how the pandemic is impacting transgenerational and family entrepreneurship and the sense of legacy in family businesses. Design/methodology/approach The authors performed an online survey during June–July 2020. The survey includes 20 questions to owners or executives of family businesses about how they had been facing the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic in their companies. The authors received 194 valid respondents from firms that have their headquarters in Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Chile and other Latin American countries. Findings The empirical analysis shows that family firms in Latin America have managed to survive and stay current through family entrepreneurship, protecting their heritage and relying on legacy. Out of four main competencies, “family entrepreneurship” was the most important on which business families relied to face this crisis. Research limitations/implications The authors were able to gather information from just under 300 participants. However, the authors decided to take into account only those complete responses in the survey, so the present analysis was carried out on the valid sample of 194 respondents. Practical implications The results of this study show that business families have managed to survive and stay current through family entrepreneurship, protecting their heritage and relying on legacy. Strategic leadership and intergenerational dynamics alone are not enough to face this crisis. Social implications Family firms, like other companies, have shifted their mindset over the last months from “how can we grow” to “how can we survive”. Consequently, what competencies are necessary to develop so that family businesses can cope with this and the following crises? How are Mexico and Latin America’s family-owned businesses navigating the economic disruptions resulting from COVID-19? This paper explores the role of family firms in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. Originality/value This study provides an overview of the coping mechanisms that some family businesses are implementing to overcome the challenges during the pandemic, putting focus on the specific context of Latin America. Family businesses represent approximately 60% of the region’s GDP, so their survival is completely relevant in terms of not only economic impact but also social development. Future research and implications are discussed.
PurposeOne of the main problems for managers is forming work groups where experts' knowledge is truly utilized in order to successfully solve the task assigned. The question that arises is: “How can expert knowledge be best utilized for different types of teams?” The purpose of this article is to explore and describe how experts' knowledge is deployed in a specific context, as with Kaizen teams.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a qualitatively based interpretive methodology, applying the case study as a research strategy through a dual design, which combines longitudinal and retrospective studies.FindingsAs a result of the conclusions from the field study, a set of practical recommendations is presented here that can be useful for general and middle management involved in improvement and innovation efforts.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is supported in the context of three case studies. Therefore does not seek the empirical generalization but analytical generalization.Practical implicationsAs a result of the conclusions from the field study, a set of practical recommendations is presented here that can be useful for general and middle management involved in improvement and innovation efforts.Social implicationsSharing knowledge and promoting organizational learning goes beyond individual benefits and the organization to have an impact on society as it promotes dialogue, collaboration and respect as a way to solve problems and propose solutions.Originality/valueAmplifying knowledge deployment between the expert and the apprentice in a Kaizen context is one of the unexplored topics in literature on continuous innovation and knowledge management.
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