PurposeWe investigate how small family business (SFB) entrepreneurs employ family resources to improve familiness and the effects of familiness on customer satisfaction and loyalty.Design/methodology/approachWe conducted two studies using a mixed-methods design. The first used a grounded theory approach with semi-structured interviews with 22 SFB owners in medium-sized Brazilian cities to identify SFB entrepreneurs' perspectives on their competitive strategies based on familiness. The second examined the roles of SFBs' competitive strategies stemming from familiness in customer satisfaction and loyalty from the customers' perspectives.FindingsFrom the entrepreneurs' point of view, we identified the resources that make up familiness: (1) family influence (i.e. family involvement and business longevity), (2) the resulting managerial strategies that SFB entrepreneurs adopt to achieve superior performance (i.e. customer orientation and quality assurance) and (3) the resultant customer response, namely family business equity (i.e. firm reputation and customer trust). From the customers' perspective, we show that SFBs' managerial strategies have positive effects on perceived family business equity that lead to positive customer outcomes in terms of satisfaction and loyalty.Originality/valueWe identified SFBs' resources that make up familiness and how they influence managerial strategies and resultant customer responses. Although these concepts may not be novel in the literature, our contribution lies in grouping them into high-order categories in the unique contexts of SFBs in a developing economy, identifying their relationships and attesting to the positive roles of the SFBs' strategies on customer satisfaction and loyalty.
PurposeThis study examines how strategic flexibility (SF) influences firm performance through the dimensions of speed and variety in turbulent business environments. The results advance the contingency theory by refining the understanding of the interplay between SF, environmental dynamism and complexity.Design/methodology/approachAfter conducting a multi-informant survey of 399 computer manufacturing and service industry firms across 14 European countries, we perform hierarchical regression analysis of time-lagged financial data to test the moderating effects of environmental turbulence on financial performance.FindingsThe results show that speed improves performance in dynamic but not in complex environments, whereas variety improves performance in complex environments but reduces it in highly dynamic ones. The results demonstrate the need to align the dimensions of SF with environmental conditions.Research limitations/implicationsAs the findings are limited to the technology sector, further research should explore other industries and long-term effects.Practical implicationsManagers should tailor flexibility strategies to environmental conditions, prioritizing speed in dynamic markets and variety in complex ones.Originality/valueDistinguishing between speed and variety advances the contingency theory, providing a more precise framework for aligning SF with environmental turbulence.
PurposeThis paper aims to examine how a Brazilian educational institution has transformed its diversity management practices regarding people with disabilities over time, highlighting the organisational, cultural and structural dynamics that shape inclusion processes.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopts a longitudinal qualitative case study design, comparing two research phases conducted in 2019 and 2024 within the same institution. Data collected through semi-structured questionnaires administered to employees with disabilities and human resources professionals. The material was analysed using Bardin's (2011).FindingsThe results indicate a shift from a predominantly compliance-oriented approach to a more culturally embedded model of inclusion. Key advances include the institutionalisation of inclusive policies, increased leadership engagement and the integration of diversity goals into organisational planning.Research limitations/implicationsThis study contributes theoretically by articulating the social model of disability with organisational culture, diversity management and intersectionality frameworks. The single-case design limits generalisation but allows in-depth contextual analysis.Practical implicationsPractical implications include the importance of leadership accountability, cross-functional integration of diversity practices and the use of multidimensional indicators (beyond hiring rates) to monitor inclusion.Social implicationsThis study provides evidence-based guidance for managers and policymakers seeking to embed inclusion of people with disabilities into organisational culture effecting intersectional social exchange.Originality/valueBy linking inclusive management to cultural and structural organisational change, this study extends current debates on diversity management and disability inclusion. It demonstrates how institutions can move beyond symbolic compliance towards meaningful and sustainable inclusion.
This research aims to describe the cultural elements of a Brazilian public university that can facilitate workplace bullying. It’s characterized as qualitative and descriptive, with the application of an online questionnaire (214 responses), followed by 12 semi-structured interviews. Data was analyzed according to content analysis and descriptive statistics. It was possible to identify cultural characteristics present in both the organizational culture and management of Brazilian public institutions, which, according to participants, favor workplace bullying at the University, such as impunity, power groups, politics, and mischaracterization of public servants. Therefore, the research contributed to the strengthening of the theory, opening opportunities for the development of measures and policies to prevent and combat harassment in universities.
Background: Home Care (HC) has been expanding globally as an alternative to hospitalization, promoting dehospitalization, rationalization of beds, and person-centered care. In Brazil, HC plays a strategic role within the Unified Health System (SUS). However, there is a lack of economic evidence on these services, particularly regarding crucial components, such as the costs transferred to users, caregivers, and families (neglected costs), which limits the understanding of its impact on home care¹. Approach: This is a secondary analysis of a scoping review² conducted based on the Joanna Briggs Institute³ and PRISMA-ScR guidelines⁴, carried out in 2022 and updated in May 2024. Forty articles were analyzed, of which only seven addressed the costs assumed by families and caregivers. An expanded definition of neglected costs was adopted, considering items not measured in traditional analyses, such as direct costs paid by families (food, transportation, medication, household expenses), indirect costs (loss of income for informal caregivers and lost job opportunities), and existential costs (the subjective dimension of care, emotional burden, and changes in family dynamics)². Results: The analysis revealed that home hospitalization predominates as the HC model (67.5%), mostly linked to hospitals. The macro-costing method was the most commonly used (80%), while only a fraction of studies (20%) used micro-costing. The components related to personnel expenses (42.5% of the articles), service utilization (35%), and transportation (35%) were prevalent in the articles. Only 12.5% of the studies detailed the costs borne by families. On average, the family incurs 34% of the costs, with some studies showing up to 77%, depending on the context. Although the costs borne by families represent the third-highest impact component, there is a lack of specific methods and approaches to capture, measure, and value these costs in an economic dimension. Existential costs were not addressed in any study, despite their high relevance to care. Conclusion: The results highlight the need to broaden economic analysis beyond the perspective of services, incorporating costs borne by users and families. Robust methods should be developed to capture and value both monetary and existential costs in order to inform more equitable and effective public policies. Neglecting these components poses risks of financial and emotional overload for families, compromising the sustainability of HC as a care strategy. It is recommended that managers and researchers integrate these dimensions into evaluations, strengthening equity and aligning practices with the principles of SUS. References: 1.Curioni C,Silva AC,Damião J,Castro A,Huang M,Barroso T, et al. The Cost-Effectiveness of Homecare Services for Adults and Older Adults: A Systematic Review. IJERPH. 2023;20(4):3373. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20043373. 2.Silva KL. Home Care Service Models and Costs: A Scoping Review. Belo Horizonte: Federal University of Minas Gerais; 2023. [in Portuguese] 3.Peters M,Godfrey C,McInerney P,Munn Z,Trico A,Khalil H. Chapter 11: Scoping Reviews. In: Aromataris E, Munn Z, organizers. JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis [Internet]. JBI; 2020 [2022 cited 28 june]. p. 406–51. Available from: https://wiki.jbi.global/display/MANUAL/Chapter+11%3A+Scoping+reviews 4.Tricco AC,Lillie E,Zarin W,O’Brien KK,Colquhoun H,Levac D, et al. PRISMA extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR): checklist and explanation. Ann Intern Med. 2018;169(7):467–73.
