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This paper adopts a configurational approach to explore the degree of matching among typologies of organizational culture and categories of family firm. Based on a sample of 491 Spanish firms with diverse levels of family involvement and using the organizational cultural assessment instrument (OCAI), results show that family owned and managed firms and professionally managed family are characterized by a clan culture typology while market and hierarchy cultures are more relevant in non-family firms. Potential determinants and consequences of these matches are explained and discussed.

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to examine how the familiar character of the firm affects its size and performance. Specifically, if the confluence of business and family dimensions affects their chances of survival. Design/methodology/approach -With data from 581 family, small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the possible negative relationship between family, on the one hand, and size and performance, on the other hand is analyzed. First, the authors made a cluster analysis which distinguishes four groups attending the source of management, family next to external, and the generation, first against the rest. In addition, the authors contrast the existence of non-linear adjustment through quadratic regressions.Findings -Cluster analysis shows that the firms with family management in first generation are the ones with smaller size and worse performance. Regression analysis contrasts the negative relationship, but exclusively linear in nature. For all companies, regardless of the familiar character, the study confirms a negative relation of quadratic character. This paper clarifies the theories about the life cycle, so that they may be applicable to the family business. The companies must overcome the early stages, where the entrepreneurial impulse is key, to give way to more professionalized structures. Originality/value -There are two fundamental contributions of this study. The first relates to the use of quadratic functions to model the relationship between family management and size and performance. The second relates to the life cycle of the family business and the role played by the family management; for that end the authors compare companies of family management in first generation with other companies to see to what extent the decision to retain a smaller size to preserve the family character is intentional.

La influencia de la familia en las estructuras de gestión del capital humano de la empresa crea un marco único y diferente, con importantes implicaciones en términos de eficiencia. En este trabajo se examina la orientación de las principales prácticas de recursos humanos –selección, formación y retribución- y sus efectos sobre el desempeño organizativo en función de la presencia de la familia en la propiedad y dirección del negocio. Utilizando una muestra de 500 empresas españolas, los resultados indican que en las empresas de dirección familiar se aplican unas prácticas de recursos humanos menos formalizadas y profesionalizadas que en las empresas familiares de dirección externa. Asimismo, se comprueba una contribución de las prácticas de recursos humanos a través de la selección que se encuentra moderada negativamente por el carácter familiar.