SAFER Methodology: A Proposal for the Identification of Family Firms in Spain Based on the SABI Database

Abstract

Although family firms represent a large percentage of all companies worldwide, methodological contributions regarding their identification are very scarce. This paper offers a new methodology (labelled as “SAFER methodology”) for identifying family versus non-family firms using the SABI database (Spanish version of Orbis) as a source of information, primarily considering ownership and corporate governance variables. The SAFER methodology can be applied without the need for massive data extraction, which contributes to its accessibility and ease of use by researchers. Furthermore, the proposed methodology has been tested using a sample of 500 companies, with a classification error of less than five percent. This methodology has also been discussed and assumed by the IEF (Instituto de la Empresa Familiar), becoming standard in Spain. The value-added of this work is to provide researchers with a widely accepted strategy for the selection of family firm samples. The methodology can also be used with equivalent databases that cover other specific countries (e.g., AIDA for Italian company data or Markus in Germany) or that have an international coverage (e.g., Orbis). Our results represent an important step forward in facilitating the work of professionals and policy makers in the development of reports on family businesses through a rigorous process of identification and classification.