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Human capital in family businesses: Focusing on the individual level

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  • Dawson, Alexandra

Abstract

This article focuses on the construct of human capital in family businesses. It makes three key contributions. First, it furthers our understanding of human capital in family businesses by identifying the underlying dimensions of human capital, involving not only knowledge, skills and abilities but also individual attitudes and motivation. Second, the article puts forward the conditions under which family businesses can achieve and sustain over time an alignment of interests between individual human capital and organizational goals. These conditions will vary depending on whether the external environment is static or dynamic. Third, the article heeds the call, shared by strategic management scholars, to focus on the individual level as well as on the (predominant) group- and organizational-level constructs.

Suggested Citation

  • Dawson, Alexandra, 2012. "Human capital in family businesses: Focusing on the individual level," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 3(1), pages 3-11.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:fambus:v:3:y:2012:i:1:p:3-11
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jfbs.2011.12.001
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    8. Ehinmowo Olubukola & Simon-Oke O. Olayemi & Fatuase I. Adewale & Ojo O. Silvester, 2017. "Determinants of Technical Efficiency and Income Inequality of Food Vending as a Family Business in Southwest Nigeria," Global Business Review, International Management Institute, vol. 18(6), pages 1412-1423, December.
    9. Hiebl, Martin R.W., 2013. "Bean counter or strategist? Differences in the role of the CFO in family and non-family businesses," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 4(2), pages 147-161.
    10. Manolova, T. & Shirokova, G. & Tsukanova, T. & Edelman, L., 2014. "The impact of family support on young nascent entrepreneurs's start-up activities: A family embeddedness perspective," Working Papers 6381, Graduate School of Management, St. Petersburg State University.
    11. Aldrich, Howard E. & Brumana, Mara & Campopiano, Giovanna & Minola, Tommaso, 2021. "Embedded but not asleep: Entrepreneurship and family business research in the 21st century," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 12(1).
    12. Botero, Isabel C., 2014. "Effects of communicating family ownership and organisational size on an applicant's attraction to a firm: An empirical examination in the USA and China," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 5(2), pages 184-196.
    13. Gianluca Ginesti & Mario Ossorio, 2021. "The influence of family-related factors on intellectual capital performance in family businesses," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 25(2), pages 535-560, June.
    14. Creemers, Sarah & Peeters, Ludo & Quiroz Castillo, Juan Luis & Vancauteren, Mark & Voordeckers, Wim, 2023. "Family firms and the labor productivity controversy: A distributional analysis of varying labor productivity gaps," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 14(2).
    15. Fernandez, Viviana, 2023. "Family entrepreneurship around the world," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    16. Basco, Rodrigo, 2015. "Family business and regional development—A theoretical model of regional familiness," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 6(4), pages 259-271.
    17. Crick, James M. & Crick, Dave, 2021. "Coopetition and family-owned wine producers," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 319-336.
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    19. Anne Heider & Marcel Hülsbeck & Leopold Schlenk-Barnsdorf, 2022. "The role of family firm specific resources in innovation: an integrative literature review and framework," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 72(2), pages 483-530, June.
    20. Pittino, Daniel & Visintin, Francesca & Lenger, Tamara & Sternad, Dietmar, 2016. "Are high performance work practices really necessary in family SMEs? An analysis of the impact on employee retention," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 7(2), pages 75-89.

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