Abstract:
Operating family businesses owner-managers play a monumental role in emerging
and developed countries due to their leadership characteristics as well as their
entrepreneurial orientation. Despite its importance, current conceptualizations of
owner manager characteristics and entrepreneurial orientation do not sufficiently
account for the relationship between owner-manager qualities, family business
growth and entrepreneurial orientation. Using the Upper Echelons theory, Resource
base' view, Full range leadership model, and Strategic adaptation theory, the goal of
this study was to examine the owner manager characteristics and entrepreneurial
orientation of family businesses in the private educational enterprise in Ghana's
Greater Accra Region. Data was collected from 90 and 30 owner managers,
respevtively, by questionnaire administration and interviews. Data were analysed
with thematic analysis and structural equation modelling. Innovativeness, risk taking
and proactiveness which are among three of the five orientation traits were found to
influence business growth positively. Also, leadership style was found to be
important for family business growth. Age, educational level, years of experience,
apart from leadership style of the owner-managers, were factors that did not inform
the growth of family businesses. Additionally, owner-manager's level of education
and age did not promote entrepreneurial orientation. The years of experience of the
owner manager, on the other hand, had a beneficial impact on entrepreneurial
orientation. Owner managers and family businesses operating within the scope of the
study were advised to adopt risk taking, innovativeness and proactiveness in order to
maximize growth, according to the study. Finally, owner-managers operating family
business should incorporate leadership issues into their entrepreneurial activities
especially transfonnationalleadership style.
