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Family businesses represent 70% of the businesses in Belgium. Moreover, it represents 55% of the gross domestic product and 70% of the employment in small and medium size companies. By 2020, one third of all family businesses will be exposed to the transition of the property and administration. The continuity of the activity of all these companies is a major concern because it represents the spinal column of our economy.
When family businesses start the process of the transmission, they ought to meet many obstacles. To quote only some examples: reluctance of the employees, family frictions…. Therefore, transmission of the family businesses is a huge issue for these businesses and one of their biggest weakness. The most common choice among predecessor is to hand it over their children. Nevertheless, only one third of family businesses will survive the second generation, and only 10 to 15% will reach the third generation.
This master thesis, entitled « Analysis of transmission’s process of efficient family businesses in order to highlight their key success factors », aims to analyse how the transmissions happened in eight family business. We compared the transmission’s process in four efficient family businesses and four less efficient family businesses to compare them and establish a restricted list of key success factors.
First of all, we have clarified some theoretical aspects of this subject. Then we have interviewed eight successors in order to confirm the theoretical study and draw a comparison between the transmission process in an efficient family business with the transmission process in a less efficient family business.
The analysis of practical fields has brought a list of three key success factors to light. First is one predecessor’s will to hand over the business and one’s ability to give up the power. The second one is the training of heirs, the way they were formed before joining the family firm and the support of their parents inside the firm. The last key success factor highlighted is the relationship between the predecessor and the successor(s). They need to a have a relationship based on trust and cooperation.

Entreprises familiales --- Transmission intergénérationnelle --- Entreprises performantes --- Transmission --- Facteurs-clés de succès --- Sciences économiques & de gestion > Gestion de l'entreprise & théorie des organisations

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• Reference Manager
• EndNote
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Nous vivons dans un monde en perpétuelle évolution, les technologies sont de plus en plus présentes dans notre quotidien et dans les entreprises. Depuis 2011, les notions de quatrième révolution industrielle ou d’industrie 4.0 sont de plus en plus présentes. Les grandes sociétés sont généralement à jour technologiquement. Néanmoins, ce n’est pas toujours le cas pour les petites et moyennes entreprises (PME). Cependant, il existe un paradoxe (Solow paradox) très souvent débattu par les auteurs dans la littérature économique. Certaines études ont en effet démontré un paradoxe de productivité entre l’implémentation d’une nouvelle innovation dans une firme et l’augmentation de la productivité. La productivité peut être mesurée à l’aide de données financières et non-financières. Pour cette étude, nous nous concentrons sur des aspects non-financiers.
Notre premier objectif est donc d’évaluer la présence ou l’absence du paradoxe de productivité et le niveau de l’amélioration de productivité d’une PME manufacturière belge à la suite de l’implémentation d’une technologie de l’industrie 4.0. Notre second objectif est de déceler les facteurs clés de succès de cette amélioration de productivité. 
Pour répondre à ces objectifs, nous avons effectué une étude qualitative de 15 interviews réalisées auprès de managers de PME manufacturières belges. Nous nous sommes aidés de la méthode de Yin (2016) pour la méthodologie de collecte, d’analyse et d’interprétation des données récoltées.
Nous observons une absence du paradoxe de productivité et une amélioration de la productivité au niveau des facteurs de la productivité du travail, de la communication et du service client. Les principaux facteurs clés de succès pour les PME sont les connaissances et l’audace des chefs d’entreprise pour se lancer dans un projet de transformation vers les technologies 4.0, les compétences des travailleurs et la collaboration avec les acteurs internes et externes à la firme. We live in an ever-changing world, with technologies becoming more and more present in our daily lives and in companies. Since 2011, we have been talking about the fourth industrial revolution or Industry 4.0. If large companies are generally technologically up to date, this is not always the case for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However, there is a paradox (Solow paradox) that is often discussed by authors in the literature on the subject. Some studies have demonstrated a productivity paradox between the implementation of a new innovation in a firm and the increase in productivity. Productivity can be measured using financial and non-financial data. In this study, we will focus on non-financial aspects.
My first objective is therefore to assess the presence or absence of the productivity paradox and the level of productivity improvement of a Belgian manufacturing SME following the implementation of an Industry 4.0 technology. My second objective is to identify the key success factors of this productivity improvement. 
To meet these objectives, we conducted a qualitative study of 15 interviews with managers of Belgian manufacturing SMEs. We used the method of Yin (2016) for the methodology of collection, analysis and interpretation of the collected data.
We observe an absence of the productivity paradox and a positive productivity improvement regarding the factors of work productivity, communication and customer service. The main key success factors for SMEs are the knowledge and boldness of managers to embark on a project of transformation towards 4.0 technologies, the skills of the workers and the collaboration with actors internal and external to the firm.

Industry 4.0 --- SMEs --- Productivity --- Critical success factors --- Industrie 4.0 --- Productivité --- PME --- Facteurs clés de succès --- Sciences économiques & de gestion > Stratégie & innovation