Family entrepreneurship in communities: social context and the creation of social value.

For some time now, studies in entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial activity have acknowledged the importance of context. This growing realisation that entrepreneurial behaviour does not happen in a vacuum, but is instead informed by the structures, relationships and social settings which surround it has inspired a number of insights in the areas of social enterprise, rural entrepreneurs, gender and localised differences in perspectives of entrepreneurship. The implications for research work are plenty and challenge the very ontological and epistemological roots of our collective endeavour. The context of the entrepreneurial event should not in itself be seen as a fixed a priori situational factor, something which can be controlled for and descriptively detailed as a limitation of the study. The disciplines of sociology and anthropology instead tell us that context is performative in nature, it directly influences, generates, colours and even extinguishes perceptions of and by the enterprise, and thus informs with great force how entrepreneurial activity takes place. The practice of business creation and development is something which continually reads from and interacts with the surrounding and situational context. Perhaps the most exciting aspect of viewing context as an informative feature of entrepreneurial activity, it that it opens us up to a world of diversity and heterogeneity in how businesses and individuals believe, behave and become. Each entrepreneurial event can be seen as a unique mix of the various contexts which have shaped it

Family Values: Influencers in the Development of Financial and Non-financial Dynamics in Family Firms

The role of family values is considered here as one potential contributor to heterogeneity. The pursuit of profit as an end goal may be key for many family businesses, but there are well-documented cases of businesses where corporate citizenship and philanthropy are integral to the business model. Earlier work has highlighted that where one family has a predominant level of control in a business, their family values may assume greater importance and thereby be more likely to influence strategy. Within this chapter, we propose that the concentration of family values that occurs when one family has a predominant level of control within the business may be a key contributor to the development of financial and non-financial dynamics, representing one way in which strategy is developed and implemented.div_BaMpub5263pu

Scottish family businesses: Innovative strategies for education and business support

This paper is a revised and expanded version of a paper entitled ‘Scottish family businesses: innovative strategies for education and business support’ presented at Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise International Conference (EFERIC), Queen Margaret Business School, June 2018.Family business is of critical importance to economies, communities and societies across Scotland, but academic research that considers and supports this group of businesses through links to the policy agenda is in the relatively early stages of development. In 2017, it was estimated that the Top 100 family businesses in Scotland contributed 11% of on-shore GDP to the Scottish economy and supported around 100, 000 jobs. The development of a ‘Top 100’ list for Scottish Family Businesses is key because it allows us to consider their economic importance alongside the wide range of international family business research that considers their differentiating factors. Building this bridge between academic research and policy is a current priority. This paper outlines some of the practical developments from this work, whilst contributing to the debate about the translation of academic research into the wider field of policy and business support. In opening the debate, the academic team at Queen Margaret Business School are also highlighting their willingness to engage with colleagues whose professional experience is similar or complementary and to share approaches that have worked across difference countries, cultures and geo-political divides.https://www.inderscience.com/jhome.php?jcode=ijesbinpressinpres

None of your business: the case for a paradigm shift in teaching family business in UK business schools

Objectives: This conceptual paper argues that a new paradigm is needed for UK Business Schools which embraces an oft neglected, yet economically vital, stakeholder group, namely family business.Prior Work: Builds on discussions in the extent literature about failures of Business Schools to address modern needs.Approach: A stakeholder approach, building on nominal stakeholder theory to justify a change to the teaching paradigm in business schools.Results: Not applicable.Implications: Business Schools in the UK need to begin to engage with family businesses through embracing the next generation from families in business. Policy needs to be developed that will support the next generation in a positive way by teaching about the family in business. Value: Stimulate discussion about key stakeholder and prompt review of neglect of this key area of business study in UK

Artisan food production, small family business and the Scottish food paradox

Purpose This paper draws together three strands of work currently being carried out at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh to take an overview of food in Scotland and on-going local interventions. The provision of ‘artisan’ food, defined here as food that forms part of the established tradition of its local area, usually produced on a relatively small scale, has become prominent in Scotland in recent years and is seen by many as part of a developing food culture that begins to address the Scottish Food Paradox. Design/Methodology/Approach A review of current research that considers artisanal food production and work that researches small and family enterprises was undertaken Findings Small business support within the UK and indeed tailored support for businesses owned and managed by families is in a developmental phase at present. While there are numerous sources from which businesses can seek support, there are also acknowledged challenges for businesses in identifying the most appropriate sources of support and the opportunity cost of engaging with business support agencies remains a serious concern for many. Further, much business support prioritizes high growth businesses effectively de-prioritizing artisanal food producers. Research Limitations/Implications The development and promotion of appropriate business support systems tailored to artisanal food production is an area that would merit further development Originality/Value The value of this piece lies in its blending of two distinct areas of work, considering both the challenges faced by artisanal food producers and recent research in family and smaller enterprises.https://doi.org/10.1108/NFS-04-2018-010449pubpub

Family business networks : mulit-rational perspectives on networking in family owned and managed small and micro-businesses

This portfolio considers the manner in which family businesses network. Networks are vital for small and micro-businesses but within current research mono-rationalist approaches, where the business is studied in relative isolation from the social component, predominate, despite an acceptance that in family businesses a family and a business co-exist. The report and papers within this portfolio argue that alternative perspectives on family business networks exist and can form appropriate frameworks for research. Specifically, an expansion of current network theory to include factors not directly relevant to the business but which by existing may influence the business is proposed, characterised here as theories of multiple rationalities. Multi-rational perspectives on family business networks offer, it is argued, greater understanding of the co-existence of family, friendship and business networks. This portfolio contains four components. A report sets family business research in context and summarises the over-arching conclusions of the portfolio. Output One comprises a literature review using secondary sources to examine current developments in family business research. Notably, discussion surrounding multiple-rationalities in the strategy literature is pertinent to the study of networks and provides the basis for the schematic model developed in Output One. Output Two considers family businesses in a peri-urban area, providing evidence to support the use of multi-rational approaches and concludes with two illustrative case studies which allow the additional network links visible using multi-rational perspectives to be viewed. Output Three presents a case study of a family with a distinct and on-going pattern of business start-up, whose approaches to networking are explored from a multi-rational perspective. In addition to the business implications, the implications for policy and business support research are considerable. If family businesses draw on networks for business support, understanding networks should form a vital part of both policy and the business support landscape.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Integrating family, friendship and business networks in family firms

Design Semi-structured interviews of thirteen family-owned and managed businesses are used to establish the patterns of networking. A detailed case study is then presented, allowing a deeper qualitative analysis of the interaction of different types of networks.Purpose This paper considers the multiple social networks of small family businesses and the dynamic interactions between them. It analyses family, friendship and business networks and the way additional ties within the networks become visible when they are considered together rather than separately.Findings The findings explore multiple rationalities employed in the networking of family businesses and how different aspects of their individual family, friendship and business networks contribute to business development.Research Implications The paper suggests that a multi-rational theoretical perspective of the family, rather than a solely business-related perspective, deepens our understanding of the dynamics of family businesses behavior and that different types of businesses may be influenced to varying degrees by different rationalities.Practical Implications Business networking tends to be deliberately encouraged by business support agencies, often via the deliberate development of events. A deeper understanding of the manner in which small businesses use and develop networks would enhance the direction and effectiveness of such investment.Social Implications Business networking tends to be deliberately encouraged by business support agencies, often via the deliberate development of events. A deeper understanding of the manner in which small businesses use and develop networks would enhance the direction and effectiveness of such investment.Originality The value of this research lies in the proposition that smaller businesses in rural areas are often surrounded by the inter-woven networks of family, business and community.https://doi.org/10.1108/JFBM-03-2020-0022aheadofprintaheadofprin

The role of vision in determining family, small business and minority ethnic business research

Family business and migration pre-date written history and yet are relatively young fields of research, which has to some extent evolved in parallel with the fields of small business research and minority ethnic entrepreneurship. In practice, however, the strands often overlap and contain common issues and challenges, this overlap provides a hinterland currently not fully explored and contextualized within research. Drawing together current research from the three fields, this chapter will highlight and conceptualize the overlaps as a working model for future analysis and highlight a number of key areas for future research. This sometime artificial distinction is especially important where research is developed into practice. The development of appropriate support systems through formal and informal networks is a key priority for communities, economies and the success of the family themselves.https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/a-research-agenda-for-family-business-9781788974066.htmlpubpu

Family business networks: mulit-rational perspectives on networking in family owned and managed small and micro-businesses

This portfolio considers the manner in which family businesses network. Networks are vital for small and micro-businesses but within current research mono-rationalist approaches, where the business is studied in relative isolation from the social component, predominate, despite an acceptance that in family businesses a family and a business co-exist. The report and papers within this portfolio argue that alternative perspectives on family business networks exist and can form appropriate frameworks for research.Specifically, an expansion of current network theory to include factors not directly relevant to the business but which by existing may influence the business is proposed, characterised here as theories of multiple rationalities. Multi-rational perspectives on family business networks offer, it is argued, greater understanding of the co-existence of family, friendship and business networks.This portfolio contains four components. A report sets family business research in context and summarises the over-arching conclusions of the portfolio. Output One comprises a literature review using secondary sources to examine current developments in family business research. Notably, discussion surrounding multiple-rationalities in the strategy literature is pertinent to the study of networks and provides the basis for the schematic model developed in Output One.Output Two considers family businesses in a peri-urban area, providing evidence to support the use of multi-rational approaches and concludes with two illustrative case studies which allow the additional network links visible using multi-rational perspectives to be viewed. Output Three presents a case study of a family with a distinct and on-going pattern of business start-up, whose approaches to networking are explored from a multi-rational perspective.In addition to the business implications, the implications for policy and business support research are considerable. If family businesses draw on networks for business support, understanding networks should form a vital part of both policy and the business support landscape