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Creating space for the business family: Networks, social capital & family businesses in rural development

Claire Seaman (Department of Business, Enterprise and Management, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, UK)

Journal of Family Business Management

ISSN: 2043-6238

Article publication date: 12 October 2015

9364

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to consider one of the major, under-researched themes in rural studies – the business family. Acting as an economic bedrock and entrepreneurial business base, families may support one or more businesses over varying time frames (Rouvinez, 2001).

Design/methodology/approach

By reviewing related literature, the paper aims to encapsulate some thoughts on this topic and to consider ways in which future work in this field might be directed.

Findings

Standing at the divide between entrepreneurship research, business research and research which looks at the family in a social paradigm, business families remain one of the under-researched areas which provide a vital function within rural communities (Getz et al., 2004, p. 3). One distinction drawn out within this paper is of the manner whereby a family business – defined here as a business with one or more family members where the owners perceive it to be a family business – stands in parallel to the business family. Difficulties in definition of the term family business (Sharma, 1996) have further complicated this distinction, but the importance of family businesses in a worldwide context is acknowledged (Poutziouris, 2006) alongside the need for further research in a UK context (Fletcher, 2002; Getz et al., 2004, p. 72). If the term family business is difficult to define, simpler definitions of the business family do appear: families with a distinct track record in portfolio or serial entrepreneurship but where the expertise is embedded within more than one individual.

Originality/value

Developing thinking around the interaction between families and the businesses they run is a vital development in regional development and of especial importance where agriculture.

Keywords

Citation

Seaman, C. (2015), "Creating space for the business family: Networks, social capital & family businesses in rural development", Journal of Family Business Management, Vol. 5 No. 2, pp. 182-191. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFBM-08-2015-0032

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2015, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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