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The study has been designed to analyze probable determinants of employee performance in family firms. A quantitative methodology was adopted. Data were collected from 113 employees from fifteen family businesses located in the Western Province in Sri Lanka. Correlation and ordinal logistic regression analysis were used to elaborate the relationships. Correlation analysis indicated that both family involvement and employee engagement correlate to employee performance. Family involvement in case of holding positions in functional and strategic levels by family members has shown no correlation to employee performance. Yet, having a family member as immediate boss/ supervisor of an employee in the job has a strong correlation to employee performance. Regression analysis makes evident that almost all coefficients of the employee are negatively related to employee performance. Yet, all levels of employee engagement are significantly related to employee performance. It further shows that being the lower levels of employee engagement increases the likelihood of lower levels of employee performance.

This paper focuses on reviewing the learning behavior of individual employees in the firm over other influencing factors in knowledge-based industries in Sri Lanka. Using a stratified random sampling technique, a sample of 143 employees from jobs in Database Administration & Development, Systems & Network Administration, Web Development & Programming and Software Engineering was selected as respondents for the survey from 13 knowledge based industrial firms in Sri Lanka. After a descriptive analysis of the characteristics of respondents, the causal relationships among predictor and outcome variables were tested using the partial least squares regression method. The results indicated that the use of digital methods, digital tools, organizational identification and knowledge sharing are positively influenced by employee’s learning in the firm. Yet, the employee’s turnover intention has negatively influenced employee learning.

Previous studies of family businesses have no common agreement on what should be the most effective and efficient approach for making decisions at different managerial levels to solve business issues. Accordingly, the main objective of this study was to understand the nature of decision-making by family members who are involved in a business in different capacities such as owners, owner managers, and managers. Locating the research in the interpretivist paradigm, and utilizing qualitative case study methods (Yin, 1994), we interviewed 24 respondents from 12 well-known family firms from different districts in Sri Lanka. Thematic analysis indicated that the consultative approach is mostly used by family members in operational, functional, and top level management decisions. Yet, family members’ decisions in the business as owners, owner-managers, and managers have not shown a common decision-making process. Owner-managers’ roles in the business decisions are highlighted as they make rational, risk averse, and deliberate business decisions which would assist to run the business. In comparison, owners and managers have followed the consultative decision-making approach to shape business decisions in line with family requirements.

Favouring family members, family businesses are often labelled as 'traditional' in technology, 'conventional' in business focus, 'less energetic' in development and 'less exciting' in change. Yet, the choice of potentially having a non-family employee to work in a family firm is critical and the career path of such employees is often uncertain. Accordingly, this study focuses on identifying and examining the factors behind organizational preferences of non-family employees working in family businesses in Sri Lanka. The survey data covering 145 employees working in 15 privately held family businesses were analyzed using descriptive statistics and stepwise logistic regressions. The results indicate a negative influence of the marital status of the employees and also in the degree of personal rewards whilst job status, the labor market experience, influence from family members and recognition in business from the society have shown a positive effect on being employed in family business as a non-family employee.