Gender and family business: new theoretical directions

Abstract

Purpose – This editorial aims to investigate the interface between gendered processes and family business by exploring the extent to which gendered processes are reinforced (or not) in family business operations and dynamics. This approach will complement the agency and resource-based view theoretical bases that dominate family business research (Chrisman et al., 2009) and further contribute to extending gender theories. Design/methodology/approach – Acknowledging that gender is socially constructed, this editorial discusses the interface between gendered processes and family business within entrepreneurship research. Findings – Despite a growing interest in gender and family business, there is limited literature that explores gender theory within family business research. A gender theory approach embracing family business research contributes to a needed theoretical deconstruction of existing perspectives on the operations, sustainability and succession of family businesses in the twenty-first century. Originality/value – This editorial makes a contribution to extant scholarship by extending gender theories through an exploration of the gendered processes in family business research.

Women Entrepreneurship in Family Business

“…More attention to a range of different themes regarding the relation between gender and family business can be found in more niched, lower impact journals, such as the International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship or the Journal of Family Business Management. For example, the former published a special issue on the theme in 2014, exploring the extent to which gendered processes are reinforced (or not) in family-business operations and dynamics (Al-Dajani et al, 2014).…”

A suitable boy? Gendered roles and hierarchies in family business succession

“…Specifically, we ask: how does gender structure the selection of successors in family business? We are motivated by recent research challenging us to re‐conceptualize gender in family business (Bruni et al ., ; Hamilton, , ; Hytti et al ., ) and by calls for family business and entrepreneurship researchers to engage in more contemporary debates in gender and feminist theorizing (Ahl, ; Hughes et al ., ; Hamilton, ; Al‐Dajani et al ., ; Nelson and Constaninidis, ). Binary, essentialist identities imply fixity and universalism.…”

“…While a considerable amount of research has addressed succession in family firms (Sharma et al ., ; Daspit et al ., ; Heinonen and Hytti, ), gender, and gender theory, remain largely under explored in family business research (Al‐Dajani et al ., ; Nelson and Constantinidis, ). Early researchers looking at women in family business lamented their ‘invisible’ status (Gillis Donovan and Moynihan‐Brandt, ; Martinez‐Jimenez, ) with women's roles either downplayed, brushed over, or ignored.…”

“…In sum, despite a recent rising interest in gender in family business (Martinez‐Jimenez, ; Al‐Dajani et al ., ), there is a lack of empirical work addressing the particular question of the role of gender in succession processes (Brockhaus, ; Jimenez, ; Ahrens et al ., ; Nelson and Constantinidis, ). The studies that do exist provide mixed results, and focus on the ultimate outcome (successor or not) at the individual level.…”

Turkish delight a public affairs study on family business: The influence of owners in the entrepreneurship orientation of family‐owned businesses

“…Family‐owned businesses (FOBs) make up more than 60% of all the companies in Europe, 90% of Japan and the USA (Strazovska & Jancikova, ) while creating an estimated 70–90% of global annual gross domestic product (Overbeke, Billimoria & Somers, 2015). In many countries, such commercial enterprises are the main drivers of economic activity, growth, and sustainability (Overbeke, Bilimoria, & Somers, ; Pearson, Carr & Shaw, ; Miller, Minichilli, & Corbetta, ; Miller, Le Breton‐Miller, Minichilli, Corbetta, & Pittino, ; Wang, ; Al‐Dajani, Bika, Collins, & Swail, ). Therefore, these businesses' performance and sustainability is a vital issue for both the business itself and the wider economy.…”