La veuve : une partie prenante méconnue dans la transmission des entreprises familiales

Abstract

Cet article cherche à comprendre pourquoi certaines épouses reprennent la direction de l’entreprise familiale suite au décès de leur mari. Il aborde d’abord cette question à partir de l’histoire d’une veuve-entrepreneure du XXe siècle. Une deuxième partie sort de la singularité du cas à travers une étude historique sur trois siècles et souligne l’importance du phénomène étudié. Une dernière partie identifie, dans ce qui précède, quatre facteurs explicatifs : le droit, la nécessité économique, les conflits familiaux, les compétences acquises à l’ombre du mari. La conclusion présente les implications managériales de cette recherche.This article aims at understanding why some wives take over the management of the family business upon the death of their husband. It first addresses this issue based on the history of a twentieth century widow entrepreneur. A second part goes beyond this single case, based on a historical study spanning three centuries. It emphasizes the importance of this phenomenon. A final part, based on the evidence presented previously, identifies four factors: law, economic necessity, family conflicts, skills acquired while working in the shadow of the husband. The conclusion draws the managerial implications of this research.Este artículo intenta comprender por qué algunas mujeres se hacen cargo de la gestión de la empresa familiar tras la muerte de sus maridos. Primero aborda esta cuestión sobre la base de la historia de una viuda-empresaria del siglo XX. Una segunda parte se sale de la singularidad de este caso a través de un estudio histórico que abarca tres siglos y así, que enfatiza la importancia de este fenómeno. Una parte final, basada en lo anterior, identifica cuatro factores: el derecho, la necesidad económica, los conflictos familiares, las habilidades aprendidas detrás de su marido. La conclusión presenta las implicaciones para la gestión de esta investigación

Family Members’ Salience in Family Business: An Identity-Based Stakeholder Approach

“…She/he can decide, for example, to run the business her/himself (assuming power), appoint another family member or an external manager as CEO (assigning the power to another stakeholder), or sell the business (relinquishing power). Curiously, with the exception of an interesting case study in Canada (Robic & Antheaume, 2014), the role of the widow as entrepreneur after succession has received little attention in family business literature while no attention has been given to the opposite case of the widower. The decision taken by the widow(er) in this situation of urgency could have a considerable impact on the firm; the different alternatives will substantially affect the position of the other family stakeholders, the possibility of perpetuating family values in the business (if the firm is sold), the future of the family company, etc.…”