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The Family Firm's Exclusion from Business School Research: Explaining the Void; Addressing the Opportunity

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  • Reginald A. Litz

Abstract

Why does the vast majority of business school research either ignore, or at best, gloss over the role of family in owning or managing business enterprises? This paper addresses this question and contemplates how the gap might be remedied. It begins by reviewing recent definitional work on the family firm in order to chart the parameters of the family business construct. It then proceeds to describe the nature of, and interaction patterns that have evolved between family firms, privately held corporations, faculties of business, and business school researchers seeking job security offered by tenure. The paper concludes by offering recommendations for addressing the family business research lacuna. The first recommendation focuses on rethinking the grounding assumptions that have undergirded much traditional organizational research. The second suggestion deals with methodological issues and recommends the patient nurture of long-term, mutually beneficial linkages with family firms that might facilitate in-depth longitudinal inquiry.

Suggested Citation

  • Reginald A. Litz, 1997. "The Family Firm's Exclusion from Business School Research: Explaining the Void; Addressing the Opportunity," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 21(3), pages 55-71, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:entthe:v:21:y:1997:i:3:p:55-71
    DOI: 10.1177/104225879702100304
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    Cited by:

    1. Hongxin Zhao & Chin-Chun Hsu, 2007. "Social ties and foreign market entry: An empirical inquiry," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 47(6), pages 815-844, December.
    2. Garcia-Castro, Roberto & Aguilera, Ruth V., 2014. "Family involvement in business and financial performance: A set-theoretic cross-national inquiry," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 5(1), pages 85-96.
    3. Sue Birley, 2002. "Attitudes of Owner-Managers' Children towards Family and Business Issues," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 26(3), pages 5-19, April.
    4. Arent Greve & Janet W. Salaff, 2003. "Social Networks and Entrepreneurship," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 28(1), pages 1-22, January.
    5. Michela Floris & Angela Dettori & Cinzia Dessi, 2021. "Handling Innovation in Small Family Firms: The Role of Context," International Journal of Business and Management, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 15(5), pages 1-60, July.
    6. Louise M. Kelly & Nicholas Athanassiou & William F. Crittenden, 2000. "Founder Centrality and Strategic Behavior in the Family-Owned Firm," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 25(2), pages 27-42, December.
    7. Matthew W. Rutherford & Donald F. Kuratko & Daniel T. Holt, 2008. "Examining the Link between “Familiness†and Performance: Can the F–PEC Untangle the Family Business Theory Jungle?," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 32(6), pages 1089-1109, November.
    8. Astrachan, Joseph H., 2010. "Strategy in family business: Toward a multidimensional research agenda," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 1(1), pages 6-14, March.
    9. Islam, Nazrul & Wang, Qidong & Marinakis, Yorgos & Walsh, Steven, 2022. "Family enterprise and technological innovation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 208-221.
    10. Ahmed Agyapong & Hannah Vivian Osei & Samuel Yaw Akomea, 2015. "Marketing Capability, Competitive Strategies And Performance Of Micro And Small Family Businesses In Ghana," Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship (JDE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 20(04), pages 1-25, December.
    11. Royston Greenwood & Amalia Magán Díaz & Stan Xiao Li & José Céspedes Lorente, 2010. "The Multiplicity of Institutional Logics and the Heterogeneity of Organizational Responses," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 21(2), pages 521-539, April.
    12. Reginald Litz & Nick Turner, 2013. "Sins of the Father’s Firm: Exploring Responses to Inherited Ethical Dilemmas in Family Business," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 113(2), pages 297-315, March.
    13. Nurten Dede & Evren Ayranci, 2014. "Exploring the connections among spiritual leadership, altruism, and trust in family businesses," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 48(6), pages 3373-3400, November.
    14. Athanassiou, Nicholas & Crittenden, William F. & Kelly, Louise M. & Marquez, Pedro, 2002. "Founder centrality effects on the Mexican family firm's top management group: firm culture, strategic vision and goals, and firm performance," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 37(2), pages 139-150, July.
    15. Tsang, Eric W. K., 2002. "Learning from overseas venturing experience: The case of Chinese family businesses," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 17(1), pages 21-40, January.
    16. Gaia Bassani & Cristiana Cattaneo & Francesca Maria Cesaroni & Annalisa Sentuti, 2018. "Sistemi di gestione e controllo e professionalizzazione delle imprese familiari. Uno strumento di accreditamento intraparentale?," MANAGEMENT CONTROL, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2018(2 Suppl.), pages 15-35.
    17. W. Gibb Dyer Jr., 2003. "The Family: The Missing Variable in Organizational Research," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 27(4), pages 401-416, October.
    18. Neubaum, Donald O. & Dibrell, Clay & Craig, Justin B., 2012. "Balancing natural environmental concerns of internal and external stakeholders in family and non-family businesses," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 3(1), pages 28-37.
    19. Rizomyliotis, Ioannis & Kastanakis, Minas N. & Giovanis, Apostolos & Konstantoulaki, Kleopatra & Kostopoulos, Ioannis, 2022. "“How mAy I help you today?” The use of AI chatbots in small family businesses and the moderating role of customer affective commitment," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 329-340.
    20. James J. Chrisman & Jess H. Chua & Reginald A. Litz, 2004. "Comparing the Agency Costs of Family and Non–Family Firms: Conceptual Issues and Exploratory Evidence," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 28(4), pages 335-354, July.
    21. Lindow, Corinna M. & Stubner, Stephan & Wulf, Torsten, 2010. "Strategic fit within family firms: The role of family influence and the effect on performance," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 1(3), pages 167-178, September.
    22. Mark K. Fiegener & Bonnie M. Brown & Dirk R. Dreux IV & William J. Dennis Jr., 2000. "CEO Stakes and Board Composition in Small Private Firms," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 24(4), pages 5-24, July.
    23. Ajay Bhalla & Joseph Lampel & Steven Henderson & David Watkins, 2009. "Exploring alternative strategic management paradigms in high-growth ethnic and non-ethnic family firms," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 32(1), pages 77-94, January.
    24. Heino, Noora & Tuominen, Pasi & Jussila, Iiro, 2020. "Listed Family Firm Stakeholder Orientations: The Critical Role of Value-creating Family Factors," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 11(4).
    25. Robert N. Lussier & Matthew C. Sonfield, 2004. "Family Business Management Activities, Styles and Characteristics: A Correlational Study," American Journal of Business, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 19(1), pages 47-54.

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