Exploring the spillover effects of a family member’s personal health crisis on the family business

This study uses a qualitative, interpretive approach to explore how and why a personal health crisis within a business-owning family may evolve into a family business crisis. Applying a dual-theory lens, we integrate the ABCX Model of Family Stress and Conservation of Resources Theory to capture family- and individual-level stress dynamics. Data from 20 members of business-owning families who experienced a recent health crisis suggest that the family can act as either a helpful or harmful resource during the adaptation process. Participants who indicated that the business family served as a beneficial resource were more likely to report positive outcomes (bonadaptation), while those who perceived the family as a source of stress reported negative outcomes (maladaptation). Based on these preliminary findings, we offer research propositions aimed at guiding future studies in developing practical insights to help family businesses build resilience and reduce vulnerability to personal health crises. Moreover, by considering idiosyncratic aspects of the family business context, our study serves as an example of how to contextualize research on “life events of strategic leaders” to reveal novel insights.