TY - JOUR

T1 - How do conflicts impact change in family businesses?

T2 - The family system and familiness as a catalytic converter of change

AU - Claßen, Christina Anna Elisabeth

AU - Schulte, Reinhard

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to develop an understanding of how conflicts, caused by the specifics of family businesses – the familiness – impact change in family businesses. Design/methodology/approach: The analysis is based on 21 semi-structured in-depth interviews of German family business members. The authors followed the grounded theory approach. Findings: This study gives evidence for family business-specific conflicts and family business-specific change and outlines how conflict impacts change. Findings show that a family system works like a recursive catalytic converter in family businesses. Research limitations/implications: This paper offers researchers a broader understanding and a comprehensive view of change in the family business. Although still limited by its exploratory approach, its insights can be valuable for researchers, practitioners and policy makers. The findings offer an operational base for future quantitative studies. Originality/value: Using the new system theories approach the authors develop an understanding of how conflicts impact change in family businesses. The study explains how conflicts are managed in family business practice.

AB - Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to develop an understanding of how conflicts, caused by the specifics of family businesses – the familiness – impact change in family businesses. Design/methodology/approach: The analysis is based on 21 semi-structured in-depth interviews of German family business members. The authors followed the grounded theory approach. Findings: This study gives evidence for family business-specific conflicts and family business-specific change and outlines how conflict impacts change. Findings show that a family system works like a recursive catalytic converter in family businesses. Research limitations/implications: This paper offers researchers a broader understanding and a comprehensive view of change in the family business. Although still limited by its exploratory approach, its insights can be valuable for researchers, practitioners and policy makers. The findings offer an operational base for future quantitative studies. Originality/value: Using the new system theories approach the authors develop an understanding of how conflicts impact change in family businesses. The study explains how conflicts are managed in family business practice.

KW - Management studies

KW - Entrepreneurship

KW - Familienunternehmen

KW - Entrepreneurship

KW - Gründung

KW - Gründungsmanagement

KW - Familiy business

KW - business development

KW - conflict

KW - systems theory

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85033464555&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1108/JOCM-04-2016-0071

DO - 10.1108/JOCM-04-2016-0071

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 30

SP - 1198

EP - 1212

JO - Journal of Organizational Change Management

JF - Journal of Organizational Change Management

SN - 0953-4814

IS - 7

ER -