O processo de tomada de decisão em empresas familiares

Abstract

Decision-making is a fundamental process for the survival of family businesses, especially in the face of the challenges that arise from the combination of business and personal relationships. In this context, factors such as practical experience, emotional ties, academic background, and lack of succession planning directly influence the way these decisions are made. This study aimed to understand the decision-making process in family micro-businesses located in municipalities in the interior of Paraíba. A qualitative, descriptive, and exploratory approach was adopted, with data collected through a semi-structured interview script, applied to 13 managers of family businesses from different sectors. Data analysis allowed us to identify four main patterns in the decision-making process: centralized leadership and decisions based on practical experience; influence of academic background on management; impact of emotions and family ties; and lack of succession planning. Thus, it is concluded that decision-making in the family businesses studied is marked by a strong presence of traditional leadership, by the appreciation of accumulated experience, by the affective relationships that permeate the organizational environment and also by the emergence of academic contributions that seek to modernize processes, although the fragility in relation to planning for business succession still persists