Family Business Research Articles

Narratives of and for survival in family firms: family influence on narrative processing

PurposeResilience of long-lived family businesses has been widely acknowledged but the mechanisms enabling longevity need to be further investigated. This can be done by examining how narratives about crisis situations are processed in family firms.Design/methodology/approachBased on narrative interviews, this qualitative study examines how crisis situations have been dealt with and narrated by long-lived German family firms.FindingsNarratives of survival can have a strengthening effect so they become also narratives for survival. The analysis reveals how the constructive management of crises contributes to emotional attachment, identification and commitment and also strengthens resilience and longevity.Originality/valueThe study contributes to narrative identity theory by answering calls for narrative analysis and capturing the influence of narratives on family firms and business families. The discussion of the findings leads to the narrative processing model showing how past crises are processes to gain identity and resilience in the future and how the business family can influence this process.

Examining Dark Triad Traits in Formal Leaders and Their Impact on Employee Workplace Stress: A Comparative Study of Family and Non-Family Businesses

This paper aims to explore differences between the perception of dark traits in formal leaders and levels of workplace stress among employees working in family and non-family businesses. Furthermore, we assess if the company nature (family-owned versus non-family-owned) moderates the relationship between the employees’ perception of dark triad traits in their formal leaders and their workplace stress levels. The empirical evidence is provided by a sample of 220 Portuguese employees who responded to a questionnaire that included their perceptions of their formal leaders’ dark triad traits and workplace stress measures. All respondents are employed in small and medium-sized private companies, holding no management responsibilities and under formal hierarchical supervision. The initial ideas that family firms’ employees perceive higher levels of dark triad traits in their formal leaders than non-family firms’ employees and that they also show higher levels of workplace stress than non-family firms’ employees were confirmed. The results also support the notion that higher perceptions of dark triad traits in formal leaders are related with higher levels of workplace stress of employees and that the company nature significantly moderates this relationship. These findings enhance the research literature by addressing two often overlooked aspects in the comparison between family and non-family firms. Additionally, they provide valuable insights into the relationship between dark triad traits in formal leaders and employee workplace stress levels.

Profiling the Cypriot Fisheries Sector through the Lens of Fishers: A Participatory Approach between Fishers and Scientists

Despite the sector’s minor contribution (0.5%) to the Gross National Product, the fisheries sector in Cyprus is particularly important to the micro economy of coastal communities, offering direct and indirect employment and supporting small family businesses. Like any industry, the Cypriot fisheries sector faces its own challenges and opportunities. The current study aimed to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of the fisheries sector in Cyprus based on fishers’ knowledge and to provide strategic recommendations based on the sector’s identified needs. Following a participatory approach, a workshop with 30 small-scale fishers, six large pelagic longline fishers, and three scientists was conducted in November 2023. Fishers and scientists worked together to conduct the SWOT and the TOWS matrix (a reverse SWOT) analyses. Findings from the SWOT–TOWS analyses were used to develop strategic recommendations for the sector. Finally, using the Impact–Effort prioritisation method, the strategic recommendations were prioritised according to their potential impact on the sector and the effort required for their implementation. Based on the analyses, the study proposes 12 strategic recommendations that could significantly improve the sector’s overall performance and sustainability, which if applied will give a light of hope for the future of the Cypriot fisheries sector.

The role of inheritance risk management in family enterprises to achieve family businesses sustainability in the middle east

Transferring wealth and ownership in family businesses is a pivotal juncture that can either strengthen the family legacy or dismantle its foundations. However, this paper examines the effect of inheritance risk management and family business practices on family business sustainability. It also discusses the mediating role of regulatory environment in the Middle East. Nevertheless, quantitative analysis was used to investigate the direct and indirect effects of IRM and FBP on the regulatory environment and family business sustainability as well as the mediating role of the regulatory environment using a quantitative approach through a survey design. However, a total of 116 questionnaires were collected through purposive sampling from the responses. The study sample consisted of managers who were contacted through email and social networking sites. Moreover, Smart PLS 4.1.0.1 was used to test the research hypotheses. The findings indicate that IRM and FBP have significant and positive effects on the regulatory environment in terms of the sustainability of family businesses. The result also confirms the mediating effect of the regulatory environment. The results emphasize the importance of a comprehensive approach to managing family businesses both in addressing internal and external challenges as strategic planning, innovation and governance structures appear as key factors affecting the sustainability of family businesses. This study suggests avenues for future research and provides practical implications for decision-makers, policy makers, practitioners and academics seeking to develop family businesses and the long-term resilience of family businesses in the Middle East.

Building legacy through brand change: Insights from multigenerational family businesses

Brand change is an important but overlooked factor in enabling family businesses seeking to build legacy. Extensive research has focused on external aspects of brand change, with little attention to the internal dynamics, which can ultimately limit successful change to build legacy for family businesses. We conducted in-depth interviews with four multinational family businesses whose brand change journeys have passed through different generations and covered multiple industries. We uncovered different brand change elements, which form layers of “Outside” and “Inside” brand change. These findings provide further insights into where a family business is in relation to its brand change journey and how to navigate brand change to build family business legacy.

Exploring the role of psychological ownership toward organizational innovation in family businesses

Purpose The purpose of this study is to understand the link between psychological ownership and organizational innovation in family businesses. The research also explored the mediating effect of knowledge transfer alongside the moderating role of governance practices. Design/methodology/approach A total of 116 family businesses across India took part in the study. Data were collected with the help of a structured questionnaire supplied to the seniormost family member of each firm. The data were analyzed by using the moderated mediation model analysis in R. Findings The findings indicate that psychological ownership is a key driver of organizational innovation in family businesses. The transfer of knowledge mediates the relationship between psychological ownership and organizational innovation. Moreover, governance practices of the businesses moderate the association between psychological ownership and knowledge transfer, and its downstream consequences on organizational innovation. Originality/value While previous research has explored various aspects of nurturing innovation, the present study explores the effect of psychological ownership in the context of family businesses in India. This study also gives insights into how knowledge transfer and governance practices work together to influence innovation in these businesses.

A Qualitative Study on Stewardship Relationships in Family Businesses in Türkiye

This study aimed to explain the basic dynamics of stewardship relationships in small and medium-sized family businesses in Türkiye and the contextual features that produce them by taking a phenomenological approach, one of the qualitative research methods. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews. The study sample comprised 35 participants from 14 family businesses in Antalya, Türkiye, including 18 family member managers and 17 non-family senior employees. Using thematic analysis, 6 main themes and 18 sub-themes were identified. While the results are consistent with previous research, they also strongly point to a steward profile specific to family businesses in Türkiye.

Understanding the Family Business Effect in Online Environments: Exploring Family Business Brands

Understanding the Family Business Effect in Online Environments: Exploring Family Business Brands

A Jungian Analysis of Historical Narratives in Family Business

A Jungian Analysis of Historical Narratives in Family Business

The Influence of Intergenerational Differences on Portfolio Entrepreneurship in Family Businesses

The Influence of Intergenerational Differences on Portfolio Entrepreneurship in Family Businesses

Nationalism in Family Businesses: Privileging Domestic Employees Under Foreign Employees’ Radar?

Nationalism in Family Businesses: Privileging Domestic Employees Under Foreign Employees’ Radar?

Next-Generation Involvement in the Family Business: The Role of Birth Order

Next-Generation Involvement in the Family Business: The Role of Birth Order

Unpacking Circular Economy Capabilities: What We can Learn from Family Businesses

Unpacking Circular Economy Capabilities: What We can Learn from Family Businesses

Family Priority or Business Priority? Impact of Family Involvement on ESG Performance

Family Priority or Business Priority? Impact of Family Involvement on ESG Performance

Community and Commerce

“‘Where Do We Go from Here?’: Histories of Long-term Black Business Ownership, Community, and Family in Los Angeles County” is an oral history project of African American business owners conducted by the UCLA Center for Oral History Research. This report describes the design and implementation of the project, the challenges of outreach, and the ways in which narrators participated and negotiated their own agendas and investments in the project. It also argues for the importance of business oral history as a means of documenting African American community and social history. As this project shows, business oral histories can record the daily particulars of small business’s operations and the challenges business owners face, offer insight into the legacy of African American multi-generational businesses, demonstrate the on-going impact of racism and segregation on Black-owned businesses, and give evidence of how Black business owners conceive their relationship and responsibilities to the African American community.

Why Being Good Matters: The Impact of CSR and Family Business Brand on Organizational Attractiveness

Why Being Good Matters: The Impact of CSR and Family Business Brand on Organizational Attractiveness

Not for Me: Parents’ Entrepreneurial Struggles and Children’s Family Business Succession

Not for Me: Parents’ Entrepreneurial Struggles and Children’s Family Business Succession

How Do You Feel? A Systematic Review on Affect in Family Business Research

How Do You Feel? A Systematic Review on Affect in Family Business Research

The Unseen Part of Successions: Exploring the Mental Well-Being of Family Business Successors

The Unseen Part of Successions: Exploring the Mental Well-Being of Family Business Successors

A Grounded Model of How Refugee Family Businesses Build Entrepreneurial Ecosystems

A Grounded Model of How Refugee Family Businesses Build Entrepreneurial Ecosystems