Strategic Challenges in Family Firms and SMEs

The research project “Strategic Challenges in Family Firms and SMEs” focuses on the strategic issues faced by family firms and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in an increasingly complex, dynamic and uncertain business environment.

The project examines how these organisations develop, adapt and implement strategies to ensure competitiveness, growth and long-term continuity. Particular attention is given to challenges associated with governance, sustainability, innovation, digital transformation, organisational change and strategic adaptation, as well as to the distinctive characteristics of family firms, including ownership, family involvement, succession and intergenerational continuity.

The project also explores how internal organisational characteristics and external environmental conditions influence strategic decision-making and firms’ ability to build and sustain competitive advantage. By considering the specificities of family firms and SMEs, the research seeks to contribute to a better understanding of how these organisations respond to contemporary strategic challenges and pursue sustainable development and long-term value creation.