This text is part of the special Research section
In order to promote succession within family businesses, researcher Hela Chebbi and the Foundation for Entrepreneurial Families (FFE) are collaborating in a research project on intrapreneurship, an entrepreneurship approach that fits within existing businesses .
Representing half of the private sector GDP and nearly 7 million jobs, family businesses constitute an important engine of economic growth in the country, according to a report published in 2019 by the FFE.
“When these family businesses are bought by American, European or Asian companies, they are often relocated,” observes Olivier de Richoufftz, secretary general of the foundation. When you start from scratch with incubators and start-up, the vast majority of these do not survive three years after their launch. » When a business remains family-owned, it is more likely to keep its jobs, its growth and its profits for society in the same territory, continues the secretary.
“We can rather rely on “ smart-up “, companies which start with something that already exists, which have demonstrated that they are credible, solvent, that they have the capital and experience of the company as guarantees of security, explains Mr. de Richoufftz. The challenge is that of the transition from one generation to the next. »
As the baby boomer generation retires, the question of transmission and succession is proving crucial, believes Olivier de Richoufftz. On the one hand, children may have a lack of motivation to take over a business in which they have little experience, he observes. On the other hand, owners may have difficulty trusting future generations or exploring new avenues to innovate.
To overcome these challenges, intrapreneurship is essential, believes Mr. de Richoufftz. This approach makes it possible to introduce entrepreneurial management by employees or succession within an organization and to create new organizations integrated into the parent company, such as subsidiaries.
For example, the creation of Post-its would be the work of intrapreneurs working for the American company 3M (Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company), illustrates Hela Chebbi, professor in the Department of Strategy, Social and Environmental Responsibility at the School of Management Sciences of the University of Quebec in Montreal (ESG UQAM). Similarly, Google allows certain employees to use up to 20% of their time to develop initiatives related to the company’s vision, continues M.me Chebbi.
Within a family business, intrapreneurship can be a way to motivate the next generations to take up the torch. “This allows the new generation to innovate within the family business,” observes M.me Chebbi, to find a balance between innovation and heritage, to develop the legitimacy of the intrapreneur within the company to ensure succession and sustainability. »
Promote intrapreneurship
To support the succession of family businesses, the FFE has created a training course aimed at supporting young future generations to take ownership of their parents’ business project, for example by adding an element linked to their interests. The FFE thus supported five cohorts each with eight projects, within which it supported new intrapreneurs with a formula based on mentoring.
Among the projects supported, an intrapreneur created a gym for the well-being of employees of a Montreal company offering online training services. In a law firm, the son and daughter included tax services.
But as the Foundation is not an educational establishment, it will have to pass the torch, explains Olivier de Richoufftz. In fact, ESG UQAM would have demonstrated its interest in developing an intrapreneurship training program, rejoices Mr. de Richoufftz. And it is within this framework that a research project launched last year and led by Hela Chebbi, in collaboration with the FFE and Eric Michaël Laviolette, professor and researcher based in Toulouse.
“We studied the background and profile of the intrapreneurs who participated in the training [et on les a interviewés] to be able to improve the course, explains Hela Chebbi. It is a reflection on the implementation of the course, the issues and challenges that we could have, communication, governance agreements. We’re trying to put all of that into the framework of a new program. »
This content was produced by the Special Publications team at Duty, relating to marketing. The writing of the Duty did not take part.