IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pone00/0267223.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

How to observe business operations: An empirical study of family business

Author

Listed:
  • Tsu-Cheng Chou
  • Hsi-Peng Lu

Abstract

The direct observation method is commonly used for data collection in family business case studies. Nevertheless, in research on family business succession that is mainly based on retrospective data, it is difficult to directly observe an event or situation at a given time. This paper thus first explores the application of observation data in the published research results of some family business case studies through a literature review. It then describes our observation methodology, i.e., sampling process, method, observation process, and reevaluation of our interview data, through a case study. Finally, the conclusion offers suggestions for using these observation methods, i.e., employing different types of observation, by considering running time and financial cost, familiarizing observers with various observation occasions, and seeking the assistance of relevant professionals for a research topic.

Suggested Citation

  • Tsu-Cheng Chou & Hsi-Peng Lu, 2022. "How to observe business operations: An empirical study of family business," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 17(4), pages 1-17, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0267223
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0267223
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0267223
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0267223&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pone.0267223?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
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    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. Wilson, Shawn R. & Whitmoyer, Jeffrey G. & Pieper, Torsten M. & Astrachan, Joseph H. & Hair, Joseph F. & Sarstedt, Marko, 2014. "Method trends and method needs: Examining methods needed for accelerating the field," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 5(1), pages 4-14.
    3. 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.
    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. Bingbing Ge & Alfredo De Massis & Josip Kotlar, 2022. "Mining the Past: History Scripting Strategies and Competitive Advantage in a Family Business," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 46(1), pages 223-251, January.
    2. 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).
    3. 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).
    4. Köhler, Tine & Smith, Anne D. & Pieper, Torsten M., 2024. "Stop... Just stop! The use and misuse of methodological template prescriptions in qualitative family business research and ways forward," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 15(3).
    5. 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.
    6. Elena Casprini & Yioula Melanthiou & Tommaso Pucci & Lorenzo Zanni, 2020. "Managing founder-based brand identity during succession," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 27(1), pages 1-14, January.
    7. 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.
    8. Discua Cruz, Allan & Hamilton, Eleanor & Campopiano, Giovanna & Jack, Sarah L., 2024. "Women’s entrepreneurial stewardship: The contribution of women to family business continuity in rural areas of Honduras," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 15(1).
    9. Torsten M. Pieper & Ralph I. Williams Jr. & Scott C. Manley & Lucy M. Matthews, 2020. "What Time May Tell: An Exploratory Study of the Relationship Between Religiosity, Temporal Orientation, and Goals in Family Business," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 163(4), pages 759-773, May.
    10. Reilly, Timothy M. & Jones, Raymond, 2017. "Mixed methodology in family business research: Past accomplishments and perspectives for the future," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 8(3), pages 185-195.
    11. Debicki, Bart J. & Kellermanns, Franz W. & Chrisman, James J. & Pearson, Allison W. & Spencer, Barbara A., 2016. "Development of a socioemotional wealth importance (SEWi) scale for family firm research," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 7(1), pages 47-57.
    12. Mahto, Raj V. & Llanos-Contreras, Orlando & Hebles, Melany, 2022. "Post-disaster recovery for family firms: The role of owner motivations, firm resources, and dynamic capabilities," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 117-129.
    13. 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.
    14. Bövers, Jana & Hoon, Christina, 2021. "Surviving disruptive change: The role of history in aligning strategy and identity in family businesses," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 12(4).
    15. Brewis, Claire & Dibb, Sally & Meadows, Maureen, 2023. "Leveraging big data for strategic marketing: A dynamic capabilities model for incumbent firms," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
    16. Azzeddine Allioui & Badr Habba & Taib Berrada El Azizi, 2023. "The Dilemma between the Pursuit of Sustainability and the Cultural Heritage of Moroccan Family Businesses: A Contextualization Study," RAIS Conference Proceedings 2022-2024 0272, Research Association for Interdisciplinary Studies.
    17. Elena Rivo-López & Mónica Villanueva-Villar & Alberto Vaquero-García, 2016. "Family office: a new category in family business research?," Working Papers. Collection C: Family business 1601, Universidade de Vigo, GEN - Governance and Economics research Network.
    18. Ignacio Alvarez de Mon & Jorge Merladet & Margarita Núñez-Canal, 2021. "Social Entrepreneurs as Role Models for Innovative Professional Career Developments," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-19, November.
    19. Anneleen Michiels & Jelle Schepers & Pieter Vandekerkhof & Alessandro Cirillo, 2021. "Leasing as an Alternative Form of Financing within Family Businesses: The Important Advisory Role of the Accountant," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-17, June.
    20. 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).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:plo:pone00:0267223. 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: plosone (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/ .

    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.