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The purpose of this paper is to compare “micro” enterprise (0-9 employees) to “small” enterprise (10-49 employees) family businesses with regard to 12 important managerial characteristics in eight countries: Argentina, Croatia, Egypt, France, Kosovo, Kuwait, Serbia, and the USA (n=601).

The research methodology was survey research. To statistical test 12 hypotheses, MANCOVA was run to compare differences between micro and small family business, while controlling for years in business.

Six significant differences were: “small” firms are more likely to employ non-family member managers, are more likely to engage in the formulation of succession plans, are more likely to utilize outside advisory services, make greater use of sophisticated financial management methods, and have a more formal management style than “micro” firms; but the influence of the founder is greater in “micro” firms.

For practitioners and consultants the findings of this study should enable family business owner/managers, and their advisors, to better understand the possible impacts of moving from a “micro” level to a “small” size level, and thus lead to more effective family business management.

This research fills a gap in the literature, as there has been minimal prior research with the specific focus of comparing “micro” vs “small.” Thus, it develops a foundation for further study in this area.

This micro-level study unpacks the recruitment and retention of international professionals to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The study highlights the influence of the founders' international experience when applying organisational-level (meso) policies and practices. With their insider experience as skilled migrants, we share how the founders in each of the SMEs mobilised career capital into human resource management (HRM) strategies.

Combining literature on SMEs and skilled migrants' careers, we draw upon intelligent career theory to illuminate the recruitment and retention of self-initiated expatriates and skilled migrants in SMEs. With three SME case studies as samples–one micro, one small and one medium-sized organisation in Ireland–we consider the influence of the founders' international experience in the design and application of formal and informal HRM strategies (at the organisational level) that are operationalised to recruit and retain international talent to/in these organisations.

The HRM practices in the three SME cases in this paper, each run by migrant founders, vary from formalised (for our medium-sized organisation), semi-formalised (for our small-sized organisation) to ad hoc and tailor-made (for our micro-sized organisation). These particular SMEs were often more receptive to hiring other migrants. The important role of the three SME case studies' skilled migrant founders and their own international career experiences was apparent in the particular HRM approaches they adopted. The relevance of intelligent career theory when applying micro-level findings at the meso-organisational level is shown.

The paper presents how the international experience of founder–managers, in turn, impacts on the HRM practices and policies that are implemented to recruit and retain international employees. The study highlights how both organisation size and founder-manager international experience influence the degree of customisation of HRM practices and policies in SMEs, specifically pertaining to the recruitment and retention of self-initiated expatriates and skilled migrant employees. The heterogeneity within the sub-categories encompassed under the umbrella label of SME is emphasised; validating our case study approach, where nuance and detail of the specific organisation can be shared.

Tourism employment is very diverse ranging from precarious, exploitative study to high-quality workplaces. However, poor employment images dominate the tourism industry, which makes attracting employees difficult. This study aims to examine the processes that lead to such image construction.

Using a qualitative methodology, the study develops a multilevel framing cycle comprising a media analysis of newspapers and magazines (macro-level), a conversation analysis of peer communication/negotiations (meso-level) and a content analysis of single employee/manager interviews (micro-level); and a comparative analysis of the macro-, meso- and micro-level findings.

The multilevel frame cycle identifies image-construction processes that pass through working conditions, payment, seasonality and human resource problems. These processes are shaped by the two cross-level dynamics of radicalization and attenuation. The latter consists of rationalized and repressed framings of tourism employment images (TEI) and the former consists of ideological and emotional framings.

Tourism stakeholders should support and participate in a pragmatic and open dialog to overcome the radicalization and attenuation of tourism employment. The key players require a new deal to end the “information warfare” on tourism employment, inaugurating a new era of collaborative and constructive employment relations.

This study develops a holistic and dynamic understanding of TEI by exploring how media products, peer groups and employees/managers jointly construct these images. It demonstrates how attenuation and radicalization shape poor employment images in tourism. It argues that these dynamics “lock in” the status-quo, create mutual recrimination between employers and employees and counteract common strategies that could otherwise improve employment structures and the image of tourism.

This paper, using a case study on Jibu, a water distribution chain that distributes bottled water in Africa, aims to underline the importance of social relationships and communication within franchise chains operating in the social sector in developing countries and their contribution to the clarification of the concept of social franchising.

The research is based on a case study of Jibu, a water distribution chain composed of 122 franchised units and 2,100 independent retailers. The primary data were gathered through an analysis of in-depth interviews with 67 people (Jibu co-founder, headquarters staff, franchisees, micro-franchisees and customers) in Uganda and Rwanda.

The findings showed that the extent and richness of social relationships and communication existing within the Jibu chain are not limited to top-down and build a feeling of belonging to a family. These social relationships and communication are key characteristics of social franchising.

This research can assist franchise experts, franchisors and franchisees to better assess the importance of social relationships and communication in social franchise chains in developing countries and help national and local governments better understand how franchising works in the social sector.

Franchising is not limited to hotels, restaurants and retail businesses. Franchising can be applied to businesses that have social goals, in addition to profit goals. For example, the Jibu franchise is a relevant and efficient solution to providing the African people with access to drinking water at an affordable resale price. This paper, thus, contributes to increasing the awareness of this franchising phenomenon in social sectors in developing countries and in Africa, in particular.

Access to drinking water is an important issue in many developing countries, above all in African countries. Franchised water services are an innovation in terms of a business model in developing countries with micro-treatment plants run by franchisees and small units run by micro-franchisees or retailers, both franchisees and micro-franchisees being local entrepreneurs.

This study focuses on owner-managers’ paternalism and its effects on human resource management (HRM) in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) during COVID-19 pandemic. It aims to describe and discuss how owner-managers paternalism enhanced the sustainability of exemplary MSMEs.

A qualitative approach employing Heideggerian interpretive phenomenological methodology was used. Data were collected from 30 exemplary MSME restaurants using non-participant observation, document analysis and in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of 75 key informants: 30 owner-managers and 45 of their employees in 10 Thai tourist provinces over three time periods. Verbatim transcripts were coded using template analysis to generate distilled data summaries.

Four HRM themes were identified: (1) staffing, (2) development, (3) performance management and (4) compensation. A proposed model was suggested to understand how owner-managers’ paternalism affects four HRM practices. Owner-managers use their authority, combined with high levels of benevolence and morality, through supportiveness and kindness for employees to meet both their work and personal needs. Specifically, their employees repay them through performance and loyalty. This reciprocal relationship positively impacts employers, employees and MSMEs.

The generalization of the study's outcomes is limited by the sample size and study methodology. The findings propose alternative HRM practices for Thai restaurants, therefore, generalization to all types of MSMEs and all areas of the world is not possible. In future research, it would be useful to consider a mixed-methods approach using large samples of MSMEs across the country or in other countries. Some small HR issues that were noted in this study, such as using the horoscope, astrology and zodiac as hiring tools, could be studied further. Future studies should explore the main thrust and relationship established between owner-managers and employees to drive MSMEs' performance.

The findings may be used as guidelines for creating a deep bond between employers and employees to strengthen MSMEs and foster sustainability.

Important for instilling HRM practices in MSMEs. This paper provides policy implications for governments, relevant public agencies and other developing countries. They need to put forward for consideration of new strategies for migrant policy, in order to solve the shortage of labor in MSMEs. A well-considered policy could increase employee well-being during crises by bringing supportive strategies together.

This study expands knowledge of the effects of paternalism on HRM practices in shaping employer and employee relationships through social exchange theory (SET).

Relatively little research exists about the information used by owner/managers (O/Ms) in micro enterprises (less than 10 employees). The purpose of this paper is to explore the management accounting information (MAI) generated and used by O/Ms for planning, decision making and control in micro manufacturing enterprises in the Gaza Strip (GS).

A grounded theory approach is used with case studies being the main research method.

Three main themes emerged during the five case studies. Firstly, how is the generation and use of MAI related to the O/M, enterprise and environmental features? Secondly, what is the impact of formal or informal procedures on the generation and use of MAI? Thirdly, what is the extent of written and oral MAI generated and used? From the five individual case studies 133 findings emerged and then a cross‐case analysis generated 21 overall findings.

The case studies excluded micro enterprises less than three years old, micro enterprises with more than one O/M and micro enterprises from sectors other than manufacturing.

This project explores what impact various factors (such as political uncertainty, competition and the need for cost reduction) have on the generation and use of MAI in micro enterprises. Several findings are particularly relevant for O/Ms of micro enterprises in developing countries. Previous studies have not identified to what extent written or oral MAI is generated and used for each of the core business aspects of micro manufacturing enterprises.

Despite the growing significance afforded to small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in contemporary Britain, much of the industrial relations (IR) literature in this country is based on research undertaken in large organisations. The minority of IR studies that are focused on smaller firms tend to be prescriptive and their results polarise into either the “small is beautiful” or the “bleak house” perspective and involve relatively small target samples. As a result, there is a paucity of quantitative research that could be generalised across this important sector of the British economy. The research (1998‐2000) on which this article is based originated from a perceived need to redress this imbalance. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from a target sample of 6,000 organisations. Preliminary results indicate that the majority of small business owner/managers in the sample exhibited personalised and mostly informal management styles. It emerges that IR in this type of business can be as varied as the characteristics, personalities and preferences exhibited by the respondents in the research sample.

With the rising concern for employment equity, accompanied by the potential for social media backlash and boycotts of company brands, products, and services, organisations are focussing on equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in the workplace. They develop programmes and initiatives and allocate resources to these efforts. While there has been some progress, companies have also faced challenges that stymied the effectiveness of those programmes and the intended outcomes for their organisations. Based on in-depth interviews with 28 employees of organisations in various industries, this chapter identifies challenges at three levels based on employee perceptions. The findings categorise these challenges at the individual employee (micro) level, the organisational (meso) level and the national (macro) level. Furthermore, the findings suggest steps to remove some of those challenges, or at least minimise their negative impact on organisational EDI policies and practices.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of individual traits and attributes on the entrepreneurial and internationalization actions of Australian businesswomen, many of whom run small businesses.

This study is exploratory and quantitative, based on a questionnaire survey of 323 Australian businesswomen. Drawing upon the extant literature on internationalization, gender and entrepreneurship, the study explores two micro-foundational relationships of interest – personality and capability assessment differences between female business owners and their employed counterparts, and the impact of such traits and assessments on their internationalization. A further question is explored in terms of any differentials in perceptions of barriers in internationalization.

The findings show key personality dimensions do not differ dramatically between Australian businesswomen working in their own businesses (i.e. entrepreneurs) or as employees in organizations, while there are surprisingly few differences between women who are engaged internationally and those yet to do so. When comparing the female entrepreneurs and employees, in particular, the findings around tolerance for ambiguity and management efficacy are notably counterintuitive. This leads to the development of testable propositions to refine the causal claims in this domain.

The study calls into question the distinctiveness of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial endeavors, at least for female businesswomen.

By including entrepreneurs and employees, women who have engaged internationally and those that are yet to do so, the study avoids some of the potential self-selection and confirmation biases inherent in studies of only entrepreneurs or small business owners. The investigation of individual traits, attributes and experiences as micro-foundations for internationalization motivations challenges existing theories of small business expansion.