The Risk Perception of Family Business Owner-Manager in the Tourism Industry

Abstract

Successfully dealing with risk has become a major challenge for firms to stay competitive in the long run. The tourism industry is vulnerable to any crisis and therefore has to deal with a high degree of uncertainty including many risks. The Alpine tourism industry is shaped by small and medium-structured family businesses. Such firms have more informal decision-making processes and more generations involved, while risk taking depends on the decisions of an owner-manager. Understanding the risk perception owner-managers is thus a complex task. This study conducts n=12 qualitative interviews with senior and junior owner-managers of family SME in tourism. Understanding the risk perception for tourism family SME might therefore contribute to build resilience and long-term competitiveness.