Estratégias deliberadas ou emergentes? reflexões sobre o processo de formulação de estratégias em uma empresa familiar de pequeno porte

Abstract

The present study had as a general objective to analyze the strategy formulation process in a small family business, generating reflections about strategy formulation in companies with these characteristics. Specifically, the objectives were to analyze the presence of deliberate and emerging strategies in the company and to identify the main employees responsible for strategy formulation in the organization under analysis. The research was characterized as a case study in which in-depth interviews were conducted with the owner and with the general manager of the company. The textual material collected was analyzed with the Content Analysis technique and interpreted in light of the theory on the subject. Although the results showed that the emerging strategies prevail over deliberate ones in the company under study, it was identified that strategy formulation in the organization is deficient even with regard to emerging strategies, highlighting the owner’s influence and decision power, typical of family businesses. The present study is relevant for presenting theoretical implications, by generating reflections on the process of strategy formulation in small family businesses, which can be dialogued with findings from previous similar studies. The results of the present study also have managerial implications, once they can be analyzed by managers in companies with the same characteristics, subsidizing strategic adjustments in search of competitive advantage.