Family Firm
A Distinctive Form of Organization

This Element explores avenues to integrate research on organization theory and family business.

Evelyn Micelotta (Author), Carlotta Benedetti (Author), Paola Rovelli (Author)

9781009087612, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 2 March 2023

75 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 0.6 cm, 0.203 kg

This Element reinvigorates calls to explore avenues to further integrate the research fields of Organization Theory (OT) and Family Business (FB). It presents the family business literature in management journals and categorizes these papers based on four types of theoretical contribution: Embedded, Integrative, Challenger and Generalized. It discusses opportunities for dialogue between FB and OT for each type in three research domains: (i) managing hybridity, (ii) mastering tensions, dualities, and paradoxes, and (iii) modelling time and temporality.

1. Family business research and organization studies
2. A brief history of research in the family business domain
3. Family business contributions in management journals
4. Suggestions for advancing FB research through organization theories and advancing OT through family business research
5. Concluding thoughts.

Subject Areas: Ownership & organization of enterprises [KJV], Organizational theory & behaviour [KJU], Business strategy [KJC]