| Contrary to what is typical, a small, family owned and operated business in rural Pennsylvania has been thriving for 86 years. Throughout the life of the company, many substantive environmental forces have threatened its survival. This study focuses on these forces and on the actions taken by the company to adapt to them. Historical, qualitative data have been collected from extensive and detailed personal interviews, newspaper articles, texts, family mementos, photographs, and legal and company records. The analyses of these data indicate that the company always has been alert to the dynamics of its many environments and that it has acted with design to adapt to the changes affecting it, commonly in anticipation. These anticipatory and often innovative actions have been paramount in guiding the operations of the firm into its fourth generation. Included in this study is a discussion on the philosophies of the company's leaders. Finally, a business operational model which is especially appropriate for small, family owned business organizations, is developed from the analyses of the management techniques and philosophies of this particular enterprise. |
