An Introduction to Family Firms and Business Families from the Anthropological Perspective: Concepts, Reflections and Ethnographic Observations

Within a mesh of expectations: Dealing with dilemmas in business families using systemic tools from family coaching

“…As family businesses are passed down through the generations, these intersystemic interactions become increasingly complex (Kleve, Köllner, et al, 2020; Rüsen et al, 2021; Zellweger et al, 2012). Added to this complexity are additional changes in (self‐)concepts of what it means to be a family (Koellner, 2023). In stretching or even superseding traditional forms, families have become much more diverse today and can include for instance blended families or same‐sex marriages.…”

“…Likewise, a general social drift towards diversity, flexibility, and individualism has had a huge impact on families and thus on the entire family business context, too (Aldrich et al, 2021; Baù et al, 2020; Kammerlander, 2021). It thus seems that today more than ever, business families are at the crossroads of complex social systems, each coming with different norms and expectations (Koellner, 2023; Frank et al, 2017). Within this complex environment, it has become increasingly important for business family members to deal with different interests, expectations, and logics in a both strategic and constructive way (Aldrich et al, 2021; Kushins & Behounek, 2020).…”