Clarkson Professor Awarded International Recognition for Work on Small Family Firms

Clarkson University Reh Chair in Entrepreneurial Leadership Christian Felzensztein was recently awarded an international recognition by the Rector of the University of Monterrey and the Center for Family Business in Mexico for his research and impact on Small Family Firms in Latin America.

Specifically, the award was given to his work titled "The emergence of family entrepreneurship in the transition economy of Cuba" published in the International Journal of Emerging Economies and co-authored by Eli Gimmon from Haifa, Israel.

The purpose of the study was to better understand the emergence of micro and small-scale family entrepreneurial firms in new transition economies. The work was done by a pioneer ethnographic study with small-scale entrepreneurs at three different points in time over several years.

“Families can overcome institutional constraints by helping the entrepreneur deal with market and social obstacles despite the absence of a supportive entrepreneurial ecosystem in certain emerging markets,” Felzensztein explained. “Our new model of family support for entrepreneurship in transition economies extends the theory and practice of family entrepreneurship in transition and emerging economies."

Felzensztein holds the Reh Chair in Entrepreneurial Leadership at Clarkson. His work is highly cited by his practical impact on small firms and entrepreneurship policies in Latin America. Currently he is working on new impactful research on how entrepreneurship can be a vehicle for poverty reduction in Latin America and other emerging economies, which is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for ending poverty and improving people's life.