Resumen de Handling knowledge through entrepreneurial generations: lessons from long-lived family smes

Enrico Cori, Mariacristina Bonti

• This study aimed at investigating what specific dimensions of the repeated entrepreneurial succession processes can mostly affect the mode of transferring knowledge from one generation to another. Indeed we consider this latter as a critical variable in order to foster the longevity of family SMEs.

  With respect to the prevailing literature, we rather propose to extend the state of knowledge on generational transition shifting attention to a number of entrepreneurial generations, for a better understanding of what originates the longevity of the analyzed firms.

  We adopt a qualitative approach. A longitudinal analysis has been conducted on six exemplary cases of small-medium sized family firms which are over a hundred years old. They belong to the industrial sector and they are situated in central Italy.

  In terms of theoretical contribution, our research contributed at enriching the conceptual framework that can be used when studying the dynamics of long-lived family SMEs.