Change and continuity in the management model of overseas Chinese family enterprise : a comparative study of six Singaporian Chinese businesses.

Abstract

This paper aims to identify the changing managerial personnel composition of overseas Chinese family businesses and examine the underlying market, cultural or institutional forces. Based on within-case and cross-case study of six Singapore Chinese businesses, the researcher finds that development of the six family businesses follows the same pattern: the transformation from a family-controlled and managed business at founding period to professionally managed yet family controlled one provided that the founding family is still the biggest shareholder of the business per se.