Análisis de la estructura organizacional de las Empresas Familiares de la ciudad de Guayaquil en función de sus características.

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to establish the characteristics of a family-owned business, by means of the application of a comparative method to determine possible differences in regard to behavior patterns of this type of business and present in the organizational structure. Therefore, the present study focuses on businesses located in the center of the city of Guayaquil. This study was conducted since this type of businesses display particular features when contrasted with regular businesses and because of its important contribution to the country`s economy and formal employment generation. This study is based on a quantitative approach with a non-experimental research design of transversal nature. A questionnaire was applied as an instrument of analysis and to collect the data, in order to obtain coherent results and reach the study’s objectives. Despite of the lack of enough data, resulting from the fact that the sample was relatively smaller than the target group, the results obtained help to raise a panorama of how particular features of businesses define their structure, like its management by a single person , usually father-founder, who transmits values and beliefs to its employers, and who belong to the same family; ideals that leave traces in them, becoming, in this way, a brand, and in the case of this type of business, in corporate image, with a high sense of belonging, due to the dedication and sacrifice put into their work, this becoming one of their strengths. It is important to note that the derived results shed some light that on the fact that this type of businesses are not prepared for the generational transfer, becoming a threat to their permanence and continuity over time. It would be interesting to contrast this assessment in later studies, taking a larger sample, in order to corroborate that the characteristics of the family-owned businesses affect their organizational structure.