Professionalising to endure: a strategic approach for Argentine family businesses

Abstract

Introduction: The article addressed the importance of the professionalisation process in Argentine family businesses, focusing particularly on the structuring stage that usually begins ten years after the business is established. It was based on the theoretical analysis of authors such as Quirós, Molinari and Hambra, who provided different perspectives on the challenges faced by founders when professionalising their businesses. 
Development: It was highlighted that professionalisation involved not only the incorporation of formal rules and processes, but also a profound change in the mindset of the founder, who had to learn to delegate, train successors and adopt new leadership models. It was also observed that this process generated significant transformations in strategies, talent management and organisational control. Molinari stressed that the biggest obstacles were not financial, but emotional and personal, and lay with the leader himself. Hambra contributed the notion of business life cycles, showing how growth without structure led to disorder and highlighted the need for institutionalisation. The emerging role of artificial intelligence as a tool for optimising operational efficiency was also analysed, although its adoption in this type of company remained limited due to the conservative profile of its leaders. 
Conclusion: The study concluded that professionalisation proved to be the only way to ensure the continuity of family businesses. This process should have begun at the founding stage and included both the transformation of the founder and the integration of disruptive technologies, while always respecting the family identity.