ABSTRACT This article focuses on the meso-micro levels of entrepreneurial family-owned and small firms operating in Africa’s informal economy. It examines how these firms manage formal and informal business activities, and how entrepreneurs manage business risks associated with market imperfections. After a brief review of the literature on the structuring and management of these firms in the context of the informal economy, we present and illustrate the Octopus business model showing the strategic apex, tentacles, and the location of formal and informal business activities along the firm’s value chain. We use a composite sample of 31 case studies and managers’ stories from publicly published sources to illustrate and test the Octopus business model and locations of formal and informal business activities in distinct parts of the value chain. Preliminary results show that in structuring and managing their firms, entrepreneurs make deliberate and at times strategic decisions in their choices and locations of formal or informal business activities. We discuss the results in terms of their implications for management theory development, research, business and management education and training, public policy and practice.

中文翻译：

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非洲企业家家庭和小型企业的正式和非正式商业活动的结构和管理

摘要本文重点介绍在非洲非正规经济中经营的家族企业和小企业的中微观水平。它研究了这些公司如何管理正式和非正式的商业活动，以及企业家如何管理与市场缺陷相关的商业风险。在简要回顾了有关非正规经济背景下这些公司的结构和管理的文献之后，我们介绍并举例说明了章鱼商业模式，该模式显示了战略顶点，触角以及沿着公司外部正式和非正式商业活动的位置价值链。我们使用31个案例研究和来自公开发布来源的管理人员故事的综合样本来说明和测试章鱼商业模式以及价值链不同部分中正式和非正式商业活动的位置。初步结果表明，企业家在组织和管理公司时，会根据自己选择正式或非正式商业活动的地点和地点，进行有意识的，有时是战略性的决策。我们将讨论结果对管理理论发展，研究，商业和管理教育与培训，公共政策和实践的影响。