The “open family firm”: openness as boundary work in family enterprises

• Published in: Small business economics Vol. 60; no. 4; pp. 1307 - 1322
• Main Authors: Lambrechts, Frank, Huybrechts, Jolien, De Massis, Alfredo, Lehmann, Erik E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.04.2023; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Business and Management; Collaboration; Companies; Competition; Entrepreneurs; Entrepreneurship; Family owned businesses; Industrial Organization; Management; Microeconomics; Openness; Work; Organizational boundaries; Ecosystems; Social networks; L21; Boundary work; Social capital; L14; Family business; Openness; M14; D8; Collaboration; Entrepreneurial family; Open innovation
• ISSN: 0921-898X; 1573-0913
• DOI: 10.1007/s11187-022-00664-z

  “Openness” has become an established norm in the contemporary business environment. However, despite the crucial importance of boundaries and boundary work in organization and management theory, openness—as opening up boundaries of family firms and entrepreneurial families in collaborating with external actors—has received only nascent attention in the family business domain. We introduce the notion of openness in the family business field. Drawing on the organizational boundary and family business literatures, we develop a conceptual framework of family firm openness as boundary work and examine and discuss the drivers, mechanisms, and consequences of openness in family enterprises. Then, drawing on this framework, we set out an agenda for future research that will contribute to a better understanding of openness, boundaries, and boundary work in family firms and entrepreneurial families. We conclude by discussing some contemporary examples of research on the “open family firm.” Plain English Summary Openness as boundary work is a significant challenge for many family firms but is critically important in an increasingly complex business environment. We develop a generative framework and future research agenda. Our main implications are for (1) research: our conceptual framework on openness as boundary work and the research questions we put forward as a critical future research agenda open up many possibilities for further developing meaningful and useful theory on openness, boundaries, and boundary work in family firms and entrepreneurial families; (2) practice: we help family firms, entrepreneurial families, and family business advisors better understand the dynamics, complexities, and consequences of openness to make more informed boundary decisions; and (3) society: when family firms open up their boundaries, not only can they create more opportunities for other societal actors, but they can also generate more value than they can do alone.