Exploring University Student Perceptions on Family Business: Career Choices and Knowledge Management

Abstract

Family businesses are entrepreneurial organizations that are based on a mix between orientation towards corporate values and orientation towards family values (Lumpkin, et al., 2008; Davila, et al., 2024). At the same time, family businesses are a more widespread form of entrepreneurship around the world (Melina, et al., 2024; Vesperi, et al., 2024). For this reason, family businesses have attracted the attention of scholars and practitioners for decades. The aim of this article is to analyze the perceptions of students, enrolled in the last year of university and about to enter the labor market, regarding their propensity to work in a family business compared to a non-family business. Furthermore, the study seeks to clarify which factors push new graduates to choose to work in a family business. To achieve the objective, this study is based on a mixed qualitative-quantitative methodology. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to students belonging to 5 Italian universities with the same study background. A semi-structured questionnaire was created as the main source for data collection. The questionnaire, divided into different sections, allowed to collect both qualitative and quantitative data and information. Furthermore, alternatives were identified that allowed the use of the AHP method with the Saaty matrix (Saaty, 1990; 2008; Fattoruso, et al., 2023). The results of this study highlight two fundamental aspects. The first aspect is related to the preferences that university students have in the propensity of their career choice. The second aspect is related to university-work policies. This study is not without limitations. The originality of this study is based on the use of the methodology for the assessment of university students' perception. In addition, this study highlights the preferences and alternative criteria that university students use for their career choice.