Managing Family-Related Conflicts in Family Businesses: A Review and Research Agenda. (March 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Qiu, Hong; Freel, Mark
• Other Names: Jaskiewicz Peter guest-editor.; Neubaum Donald O. guest-editor.; De Massis Alfredo guest-editor.; Holt Daniel T. guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Family business review. Volume 33:Number 1(2020)
• Page Start: 90
• Page End: 113
• Publication Date: 2020-03
• Subjects: conflict management -- family business -- review -- research agenda -- conflict process; Family-owned business enterprises -- United States -- Periodicals; Home labor -- United States -- Periodicals; Small business -- United States -- Periodicals; New business enterprises -- United States -- Periodicals; 658.045
• DOI: 10.1177/0894486519893223
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0894-4865

Abstract

This review examines how family businesses manage family-related conflicts that occur at three interfaces: family-business, family-ownership, and family-business-ownership. We find that work-family conflicts, conflicts of interest, and relationship conflicts are prevalent family-related conflicts. Four conflict management strategies are frequently used to deal with these conflicts: vacillation, domination, separation, and third-party intervention. The popularity of these strategies is influenced by some unique characteristics of family businesses, such as high emotional attachment among family members. By integrating insights from the broader conflict research, paradox and dialectic studies, we develop a research agenda targeted at better connecting family-related conflicts to conflict management strategies.