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Goal Setting in Family Firms: Goal Diversity, Social Interactions, and Collective Commitment to Family–Centered Goals

Josip Kotlar¹; Alfredo De Massis²

¹ University of Bergamo, Center for Young & Family Enterprise, Via Pasubio 7B, 24044 Dalmine (BG)—Italy. · ² Lancaster University Management School (UK) and professor in the area of Family Business at University of Bergamo, Center for Young & Family Enterprise, Via Pasubio 7B, 24044 Dalmine (BG)—Italy.

Goal setting in family firms is very complex due to the interplay between family and business systems. However, this topic is largely overlooked in family business research. In this qualitative study of goals and goal formulation processes among 76 organizational members across 19 family firms, we identify goal diversity as a direct consequence of the overlap between the family, ownership, and business systems. We found that goal diversity is expressed more strongly in the proximity of generational transitions, triggering social interaction processes through which organizational members contrast their goals. Our findings suggest that different types of social interactions lead to different behaviors, with familial social interactions being more effective than professional social interactions in managing goal diversity toward the formation of collective commitment to family–centered goals.

DOI

10.1111/etap.12065

Volume

37 (6)

Pages

1263-1288

Language

en

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