Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice 2003
The Family: The Missing Variable in Organizational Research
Abstract
Few studies in the mainstream management literature have included the family as a variable. The focus of this article is to describe (1) why there is a dearth of research using family as a variable; (2) how failing to use the family as a variable in organizational research can lead to incomplete or misleading findings; (3) the issues and concerns related to using the family as a variable in organizational research; and (4) options in research design for using the family as a variable. Given that the vast majority of organizations can be classified as “family firms,” including the family as a variable in research designs will provide researchers with theories that are more robust and that can be generalized to a larger population of organizations.
- DOI
- 10.1111/1540-8520.00018
- Sources
- openalex