In this study, we examine the role of individuals' commitment in small and medium-sized firms. More specifically, we argue that employees will commit themselves to their firm based on their current work status in the firm, their perception of the organizational climate, and the firm's entrepreneurial orientation. We also examine how individuals' commitment affect the actual effort they exert vis-à-vis their firm. The study's hypotheses are tested by applying quantitative analyses to survey data collected from 863 Mexican small and medium-sized businesses. We found that individuals' position and tenure in the firm, their perception of psychological safety and meaningfulness, and the firm's entrepreneurial orientation all are positively related to organizational commitment. We also found a positive relationship between organizational commitment and effort. Finally, our findings show that organizational commitment mediates the relationship between many of the predictor variables and effort. We discuss the limitations and implications of our findings and provide directions for future research.In order to be successful, it is in the interest of each firm to retain its employees and minimize turnover as well as to maximize the commitment and effort each individual devotes to his or her organization. Given their limited amount of resources, small and medium-sized firms may find it particularly challenging to accommodate their employees in terms of their commitment vis-à-vis the

Knowledge sharing and unethical pro-organizational behavior in a Mexican organization:Moderating effects of dispositional resistance to change and perceived organizational politics Abstract Purpose-This article investigates the relationship of knowledge sharing with unethical proorganizational behavior (UPB), as well as the potential augmenting effects of two factors: employees' dispositional resistance to change and perceptions of organizational politics.Design/methodology/approach-Quantitative data come from employees in a Mexican manufacturing organization. The hypotheses tests use hierarchical regression analysis.Findings-Knowledge sharing increases the risk that employees engage in UPB. This effect is most salient when employees tend to resist organizational change or believe the organizational climate is highly political.Practical implications-Organizations should discourage UPB with their ranks, and to do so, they must realize that employees' likelihood to engage in it may be enhanced by their access to peer knowledge. Employees with such access may feel more confident that they can protect their organization against external scrutiny through such unethical means. This process can be activated by both personal and organizational factors that make UPB appear more desirable.Originality/value-This study contributes to organizational research by providing a deeper understanding of the risk that employees will engage in UPB, according to the extent of their knowledge sharing. It also explicates when knowledge sharing might have the greatest impact, both for good and for ill.

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Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to introduce the special issue on family firms in Iberoamerican countries. The special issue aims at enlarging our understanding of the uniqueness of family firms by providing new evidence from Iberoamerican countries about this widespread organizational type. The paper concludes by highlighting some areas in which the authors believe devoting more energy and resources, with new evidence from other samples, may be favourable to advancing the family business field. Design/methodology/approach -The authors revise relevant literature on the subject and integrate with the content of the papers published in the special issue. Findings -The paper introduces the articles in the special issue, places them in the current academic debate and highlights areas for future research. Practical implications -Provides a view of research on family firms in Iberoamerica, with indications of relevant potential areas for future research. Originality/value -The paper introduces four new articles on family firms in Iberoamerican countries and suggests areas for future research.

Las empresas familiares representan la mayoría de las organizaciones en México y participan en una gran variedad de industrias. Las hay de todos tamaños, incluso dentro de las más grandes del país. En la Bolsa Mexicana de Valores (BMV), el 70% de las empresas que emiten acciones son familiares (Belausteguigoitia, 2012). Se han realizado investigaciones en diversos países que comparan los rendimientos entre empresas familiares y no familiares (Villalonga y Amit, 2006). Faltaba en México un estudio comparativo de esta índole, que permitiera conocer el desempeño de las organizaciones familiares. Este trabajo ofrece un valor adicional, ya que compara los rendimientos durante años de crisis y estabilidad. Los resultados preliminares indican que durante años de relativa inestabilidad financiera (por la crisis de 2008), las organizaciones familiares muestran un rendimiento significativamente mayor que las no familiares, mientras que en años de estabilidad los rendimientos tienden a ser semejantes. Además de exponer resultados pormenorizados durante este período, se plantean algunas hipótesis que explican el hecho de que las organizaciones familiares se desempeñen mejor en tiempos de crisis.