TY - JOUR

T1 - The strategic realignment of paradoxical family and business goals in family business

T2 - A rhetorical history perspective

AU - Pecis, Lara

AU - Ge, Bingbing

AU - Bauer, Florian

PY - 2024/3/5

Y1 - 2024/3/5

N2 - Family firms are paradoxical by nature due to the interplay of two distinct goal systems: the family and the firm. These systems involve nested tensions that can create apparent paradoxes over time. Taking a rhetorical history lens, we explore how family firms can dynamically produce temporal equilibria between goal systems through the strategic use of history. Empirically, we investigate the emergence and development of two apparent paradoxes unfolding through the history of the growth of Alpha, an Italian family firm in the packaging industry. Our findings suggest that rhetorical history can alleviate the tensions emergent from the paradoxical goal systems of family businesses. Our research provides a unique contribution by revealing the emergence and agentic process of the co-construction of rhetorical history, which involves multiple agencies from both family and non-family employees. Moreover, such co-created rhetorical history can dynamically produce temporal equilibria in family business’s persistent paradoxical goal systems. 

AB - Family firms are paradoxical by nature due to the interplay of two distinct goal systems: the family and the firm. These systems involve nested tensions that can create apparent paradoxes over time. Taking a rhetorical history lens, we explore how family firms can dynamically produce temporal equilibria between goal systems through the strategic use of history. Empirically, we investigate the emergence and development of two apparent paradoxes unfolding through the history of the growth of Alpha, an Italian family firm in the packaging industry. Our findings suggest that rhetorical history can alleviate the tensions emergent from the paradoxical goal systems of family businesses. Our research provides a unique contribution by revealing the emergence and agentic process of the co-construction of rhetorical history, which involves multiple agencies from both family and non-family employees. Moreover, such co-created rhetorical history can dynamically produce temporal equilibria in family business’s persistent paradoxical goal systems. 

KW - History

KW - Business, Management and Accounting (miscellaneous)

KW - Business and International Management

U2 - 10.1080/00076791.2024.2317938

DO - 10.1080/00076791.2024.2317938

M3 - Journal article

JO - Business History

JF - Business History

SN - 0007-6791

ER -