Methodology This study adopted a positivistic research paradigm and implemented a quantitative research approach which was deductive and cross-sectional in nature. A survey with self-administered and structured questionnaires was used to gather the necessary data. The development and distribution of the questionnaire was subjected to the research ethics approval procedures at the Nelson Mandela University, and it was concluded that no potential harm to the respondents existed. Population and Sample The population consisted of all-family SMEs operating within the borders of the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. To date, there is no national database or list of small businesses in South Africa or in the Eastern Cape, therefore criterion and convenience sampling was used to identify potential respondents. In this study, a family SME was defined as one where at least two family members actively work in the business, whereby a single family owns more than a 50 per cent 12 share in the business, and the business has been in operation for at least one year, employing more than five, but fewer than 200 full-time employees. The aforementioned criteria were considered in the sampling process. The SME owners were the unit of analysis.

Provide a detailed description of the research methodology implemented, and critique the use of the identified methodology for the research topic.