Gender theory and the family business

Bringing context to the foreground: Explaining the early-stage career development of next-generation family business members

“…Second, our results demonstrate that in the patrilocal residence system, female next-gens are seen as temporary members of their paternal family and experience a "natural barrier" to embarking on succession careers. This finding extends our understanding of female succession barriers by moving beyond stereotyped roles, gender hierarchy, and primogeniture (Byrne, Fattoum, & Thébaud, 2019, Jimenez, 2009Pauli, 2015). Moreover, our study extends the current knowledge of marriage (Jaskiewicz & Dyer, 2017) in family businesses and its implications for family structure and kinship.…”

“…Ward's (2000) study of Indian family businesses explains this phenomenon: "Daughters left their families of origin when they married into their new families through arranged marriages to husbands of equal means" (p. 274). Prior studies identified several barriers to succession for women in family businesses, including stereotypical roles, gender hierarchy, and primogeniture (Byrne et al, 2019;Jimenez, 2009;Pauli, 2015). We add to this literature by demonstrating that marriage and associated cultural practices (such as the patrilocal residence system) create a barrier that prevents female next-gens' career progress in family businesses.…”