Women in Small and Medium Sized Family Firms: Theory and Practice

Research on the presence and role of women in family firms has increased in the last decades. However, most of the current knowledge has been developed by studying large firms, leaving the unique and distinctive challenges of women’s involvement in small family firms still underexplored. This editorial offers, first, an interpretative lens of the articles in this special issue through the microfoundation approach of the Antecedents, Decisions and Outcomes (ADO) framework. Second, it summarizes the studies included, focusing on different key aspects of women’s roles in family SMEs. Finally, it suggests directions for future research, in order to deepen our understanding of antecedents, contextual factors, and outcomes relating to the role of women in family SMEs. Women are still not a valued asset. Consistent with the goals that inspired this special issue, the findings also have important practical implications, as they provide valuable indications and suggestions for firms to be more inclusive towards women.