Surviving through generations. The generational turnover process in family-run firms

Economical crisis involves every parts of the society, but specially entrepreneurship contest of a Country is involved in this current process of change. If the possibility to survive over the years for most of the firms is still more difficult than in the past for the economical crisis, the question is: which are the firms that still resist over the years in spite of the crisis? A success model can be supposed? Why some firms die and others become century-old companies? With the presentation of this case study, my aim is to show how a long-lived firm could be successful from year to year in a sector which is really in crisis: the automotive industry. By showing these good practices regarding both organizational change and process and product’s innovation, I intend to look at some possible good practices for the others firms which are now in a state of crisis. My case study is about a large firm of the automotive industry operating in the Turin’s area. The topics are the organizational change, the process and product’s innovation and, then, the transition of the entrepreneurial power between generations. My approach refers to the symbolical and cultural studies in organizations