IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/fambus/v7y2016i1p8-25.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Qualitative research practices and family business scholarship: A review and future research agenda

Author

Listed:
  • Fletcher, Denise
  • Massis, Alfredo De
  • Nordqvist, Mattias

Abstract

In spite of various calls for a wider application of qualitative research in the family business field, it is our contention that the full potential of qualitative inquiry is not being fully realized. Part of the reason for this relates to the tendency to promote methods choice and diversity rather than addressing the foundational questions and processes which underlie qualitative research choices. These tendencies obscure attention to the reasons why researchers choose qualitative methods and the kinds of foundational issues about family businesses that are brought to light through qualitative research. To address this, we undertake an analysis of the most-cited articles using qualitative methods from an annotated bibliography of family business studies. From this, we identify the strengths and weaknesses of extant qualitative studies in family business research and argue for the need to re-orientate calls in family business research towards the foundational questions (rather than methods) that underline qualitative inquiry.

Suggested Citation

  • Fletcher, Denise & Massis, Alfredo De & Nordqvist, Mattias, 2016. "Qualitative research practices and family business scholarship: A review and future research agenda," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 7(1), pages 8-25.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:fambus:v:7:y:2016:i:1:p:8-25
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jfbs.2015.08.001
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877858515000364
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jfbs.2015.08.001?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nordqvist, Mattias & Hall, Annika & Melin, Leif, 2009. "Qualitative research on family businesses: The relevance and usefulness of the interpretive approach," Journal of Management & Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 15(3), pages 294-308, July.
    2. Hedberg, Patricia R. & Danes, Sharon M., 2012. "Explorations of dynamic power processes within copreneurial couples," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 3(4), pages 228-238.
    3. Murphy, Linda & Lambrechts, Frank, 2015. "Investigating the actual career decisions of the next generation: The impact of family business involvement," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 6(1), pages 33-44.
    4. Ethel Brundin & Mattias Nordqvist, 2008. "Beyond Facts and Figures: The Role of Emotions in Boardroom Dynamics," Corporate Governance: An International Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 16(4), pages 326-341, July.
    5. Welsh, Dianne H.B. & Memili, Esra & Rosplock, Kirby & Roure, Juan & Segurado, Juan Luis, 2013. "Perceptions of entrepreneurship across generations in family offices: A stewardship theory perspective," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 4(3), pages 213-226.
    6. Luis R. Gomez–Mejia & Joanna Tochman Campbell & Geoffrey Martin & Robert E. Hoskisson & Marianna Makri & David G. Sirmon, 2014. "Socioemotional Wealth as a Mixed Gamble: Revisiting Family Firm R&D Investments with the Behavioral Agency Model," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 38(6), pages 1351-1374, November.
    7. Meier, Olivier & Schier, Guillaume, 2014. "Family firm succession: Lessons from failures in external party takeovers," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 5(4), pages 372-383.
    8. Dyck, Bruno & Mauws, Michael & Starke, Frederick A. & Mischke, Gary A., 2002. "Passing the baton: The importance of sequence, timing, technique and communication in executive succession," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 17(2), pages 143-162, March.
    9. Miller, Danny & Steier, Lloyd & Le Breton-Miller, Isabelle, 2003. "Lost in time: intergenerational succession, change, and failure in family business," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 18(4), pages 513-531, July.
    10. Editors The, 2008. "From the Editors," Basic Income Studies, De Gruyter, vol. 2(2), pages 1-3, January.
    11. Bengt Johannisson & Morten Huse, 2000. "Recruiting outside board members in the small family business: an ideological challenge," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(4), pages 353-378, October.
    12. Editors The, 2008. "From the Editors," Basic Income Studies, De Gruyter, vol. 3(1), pages 1-1, July.
    13. Camblanne, Lionel, 2013. "Family vision and cognition: An illustration through forest owners’ harvesting decisions," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 4(4), pages 245-259.
    14. Mike Wright & James J. Chrisman & Jess H. Chua & Lloyd P. Steier, 2014. "Family Enterprise and Context," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 38(6), pages 1247-1260, November.
    15. Irava, Wayne J. & Moores, Ken, 2010. "Clarifying the strategic advantage of familiness: Unbundling its dimensions and highlighting its paradoxes," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 1(3), pages 131-144, September.
    16. 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.
    17. Alex Stewart, 2003. "Help One Another, Use One Another: Toward an Anthropology of Family Business," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 27(4), pages 383-396, October.
    18. Schlepphorst, Susanne & Moog, Petra, 2014. "Left in the dark: Family successors’ requirement profiles in the family business succession process," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 5(4), pages 358-371.
    19. De Massis, Alfredo & Kotlar, Josip, 2014. "The case study method in family business research: Guidelines for qualitative scholarship," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 5(1), pages 15-29.
    20. Neri Karra & Paul Tracey & Nelson Phillips, 2006. "Altruism and Agency in the Family Firm: Exploring the Role of Family, Kinship, and Ethnicity," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 30(6), pages 861-877, November.
    21. Howorth, Carole & Westhead, Paul & Wright, Mike, 2004. "Buyouts, information asymmetry and the family management dyad," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 509-534, July.
    22. Steier, Lloyd P. & Miller, Danny, 2010. "Pre- and post-succession governance philosophies in entrepreneurial family firms," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 1(3), pages 145-154, September.
    23. Nordqvist, Mattias & Melin, Leif, 2010. "The promise of the strategy as practice perspective for family business strategy research," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 1(1), pages 15-25, March.
    24. Lionel Camblanne, 2013. "Family vision and cognition : An illustration through forest owners' harvesting decisions," Post-Print hal-02313152, HAL.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. De Massis, Alfredo & Kotlar, Josip, 2014. "The case study method in family business research: Guidelines for qualitative scholarship," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 5(1), pages 15-29.
    2. Hamilton, Eleanor & Discua Cruz, Allan & Jack, Sarah, 2017. "Re-framing the status of narrative in family business research: Towards an understanding of families in business," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 8(1), pages 3-12.
    3. Goel, Sanjay & Mazzola, Pietro & Phan, Phillip H. & Pieper, Torsten M. & Zachary, Ramona K., 2012. "Strategy, ownership, governance, and socio-psychological perspectives on family businesses from around the world," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 3(2), pages 54-65.
    4. 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).
    5. Schell, Sabrina & de Groote, Julia K. & Moog, Petra & Hack, Andreas, 2020. "Successor selection in family business—A signaling game," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 11(3).
    6. Cater, John James & Kidwell, Roland E., 2014. "Function, governance, and trust in successor leadership groups in family firms," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 5(3), pages 217-228.
    7. Conz, Elisa & Lamb, Peter William & De Massis, Alfredo, 2020. "Practicing resilience in family firms: An investigation through phenomenography," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 11(2).
    8. Wright, Mike & Kellermanns, Franz W., 2011. "Family firms: A research agenda and publication guide," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 2(4), pages 187-198.
    9. Boris Rumanko & Zuzana Lušňáková & Monika Moravanská & Mária Šajbidorová, 2021. "Succession as a Risk Process in the Survival of a Family Business—Case of Slovakia," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-20, September.
    10. Sohrab Soleimanof & Kulraj Singh & Daniel T. Holt, 2019. "Micro-Foundations of Corporate Entrepreneurship in Family Firms: An Institution-Based Perspective," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 43(2), pages 274-281, March.
    11. Kandade, Kiran & Samara, Georges & Parada, Maria José & Dawson, Alexandra, 2021. "From family successors to successful business leaders: A qualitative study of how high-quality relationships develop in family businesses," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 12(2).
    12. Simon, Alexandra & Marquès, Pilar & Bikfalvi, Andrea & Dolors Muñoz, M., 2012. "Exploring value differences across family firms: The influence of choosing and managing complexity," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 3(3), pages 132-146.
    13. Metsola, Jaakko & Leppäaho, Tanja & Paavilainen-Mäntymäki, Eriikka & Plakoyiannaki, Emmanuella, 2020. "Process in family business internationalisation: The state of the art and ways forward," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(2).
    14. Baù, Massimo & Pittino, Daniel & Sieger, Philipp & Eddleston, Kimberly A., 2020. "Careers in family business: New avenues for careers and family business research in the 21st century," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 11(3).
    15. Carole Howorth & Mike Wright & Paul Westhead & Deborah Allcock, 2016. "Company metamorphosis: professionalization waves, family firms and management buyouts," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 47(3), pages 803-817, October.
    16. Mattias Nordqvist & Karl Wennberg & Massimo Bau’ & Karin Hellerstedt, 2013. "An entrepreneurial process perspective on succession in family firms," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 40(4), pages 1087-1122, May.
    17. Woodfield, Paul & Husted, Kenneth, 2017. "Intergenerational knowledge sharing in family firms: Case-based evidence from the New Zealand wine industry," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 8(1), pages 57-69.
    18. Michel, Alexandra & Kammerlander, Nadine, 2015. "Trusted advisors in a family business's succession-planning process—An agency perspective," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 6(1), pages 45-57.
    19. Schell, Sabrina & Hiepler, Miriam & Moog, Petra, 2018. "It’s all about who you know: The role of social networks in intra-family succession in small and medium-sized firms," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 9(4), pages 311-325.
    20. Rodrigo Basco & Andrea Calabrò, 2017. "“Whom do I want to be the next CEO?” Desirable successor attributes in family firms," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 87(4), pages 487-509, May.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:fambus:v:7:y:2016:i:1:p:8-25. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/719791/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.