1,720,980 research outputs found
Social bricoleur entrepreneurs – exploring the case of John Hall and his White Rose Boxing Club
Full text linkPurpose
The purpose of this paper was to explore the human condition of social bricoleur entrepreneurs and the role they perform in their contexts. The result of a lifetime performing such a role reveals the importance of various forms of bricolage as a fundamental activity for the social enterprise’s survival. This paper extends social bricoleur entrepreneur theory.
Design/methodology/approach
This research adopted an inductive single ethnographic retrospective constructivist case study approach underpinned by a pragmatic philosophy. It used a combination of data collection techniques, such as interviews, observations and documents, and adopted a plurality of approaches extracted from a range of qualitative schools of thought. The data were analysed using qualitative coding, which then led to theorisation.
Findings
The findings present the two main roles of John Hall, a social entrepreneur bricoleur behind an amateur boxing club. His role as a surrogate father to the boxers and as an entrepreneur led to significant contributions to the White Rose Boxing Club in the UK. Both of these roles were motivated by the longstanding objective of the club since the 1940s to create champions (also known as “pugilistic capital”) and to create good citizens within the local community (capturing the generativity of the club). For Hall, a lifetime of time and energy enabled him to hone his ability to perform various forms of bricolage (entrepreneurial, network and social).
Research limitations/implications
This research is limited by its small sample; however, the insights can be used for future work. Studies can take a broader view of the role of social bricoleur entrepreneurs in amateur sports clubs, who strive to achieve social positives while maintaining the economic demands of their social enterprises.
Practical implications
This case can be used as evidence to further current policy efforts to provide social bricoleurs with the financial capital, time and skills that can have a positive impact in local communities. Firstly, financial and human resources can be made available to social bricoleur entrepreneurs who can demonstrate their commitment. Secondly, time can be made available to social bricoleurs who have full-time jobs alongside their enterprises by compensating their employers with an amount reflecting the time they spend on their social enterprises.
Social implications
Local sports organisations are increasingly seen as an antidote to public concern regarding the well-being and development of the next generation. Specifically, in the amateur boxing community, it is widely known that clubs create positive social outcomes, such as improved confidence, self-esteem and health, in the next generation and produce positive outcomes for deprived societies, such as reduced crime and the increased performance of students in school. This study can be used to strengthen the rationale for economically supporting amateur boxing clubs. Hall’s story demonstrates the power of bricolage in an interesting context. It can be used as an example for other social entrepreneurs and for those interested in the power of sport to transform lives.
Originality/value
This study is novel for two reasons. Firstly, it uses a qualitative approach on a revelatory case, thereby delivering unique meaningful insights into a context that is underutilised in social entrepreneurship – that of research on the impact of amateur sports clubs. Secondly, it sheds light on the human condition of social bricoleur entrepreneurs and the different forms of bricolage they use. This deepens the understanding of the concept of the social bricoleur, reshaping and refining existing understanding
A micro-level study of agricultural family-managed firms: the role of age in the management of family social capital
No full textA unique resource that differentiates family firms from non-family firms, family social capital has been well researched in the family firm literature as well as more broadly in the management literature. However, what is less known is the influence of micro-level mechanisms regarding how family members perceive themselves within the family. Based on the assumption that family social capital accumulates over a lifetime and is non-transferrable, family firms may have a problem, especially in sectors highly dependent upon social capital, such as the agribusiness sector. To further explore this potential issue, we conducted a qualitative, inductive, grounded theory study on English family-managed agribusinesses. Surprisingly, rather than transferring family social capital, the junior generation developed its own family social capital, helped by the presence of renewal mechanisms. We found that such renewal mechanisms were heavily influenced by the senior generation, which explains how family social capital is managed. This contributes to four adjacent strands of the literature: social capital, family social capital, gerontology and agribusinesses. This research fills a theoretical gap that is increasingly relevant due to the ageing population characterizing societies across the Western world. Indeed, practitioners can use these renewal mechanisms and imitate renewal mechanisms’ behaviours for multigenerational family firms
Aligning strategy and digitalisation activity as an incremental or radical innovation in family farms
Full text linkPurpose – Digitalisation is perceived as a new process that may add value to firms. Current theoretical
understanding assumes it should be part of a firm’s strategy to respond to multiple pressures in the business
environment. This paper explores the occurrence of digitalisation in a rare context, that of the English agricultural industry in the United Kingdom, a place disproportionality filled with family firms. The general understanding of digitalisation in family firm settings remains embryonic. The authors’ explorations make theoretical contributions to research at the intersection of rural entrepreneurship, family business and innovation.
Design/methodology/approach – Utilising a purposive, qualitative approach, primary data was collected
from multiple interviews with 28 UK family farms, and secondary data from another 164. Interview transcripts
were coded using NVivo, along with secondary data from reports, observations and websites.
Findings – The authors present empirical evidence illustrating how digitalisation manifests incrementally
and radically in different types of family farms. The authors present a model that shows the areas of farming
that have, and continue to be, digitalised. This increases analytical precision when identifying digitalisation
activities that differ depending on the strategy to either scale or diversify. The authors propose that
incremental digitalising occurs to a great extent during a scaling strategy, and that radical digitalising occurs
to a smaller extent during diversification strategies in family farms.
Research limitations/implications – This research uses a sample of family-run farms from the UK
agricultural sector to explore nuanced elements of digitalisation. It should therefore be explored in other types
of family firms located in different sectors and geographies.
Practical implications – This research is important because family farms are under increasing pressure and
have limited financial resources to deal with the digitalisation agenda. Therefore, empirical evidence helps
other farms in similar situations. The authors found digitalisation investments, that tend to be capital intensive,
only matter for scalers and less so for diversifiers. Family farms can use the model presented as a tool to
evaluate their farm. The tool helps them define what to do, and ideate the potential activities that might be
digitalised, to feed into their wider strategy.
Social implications – Family firms, in particular farms, are critical to many economies. The general consenses
currently assumes all family firms should digitalise, yet the authors’ evidence suggests that this is not the case. It is important to create policies that are sensitive to the needs of different types of businesses, in this case between family firm scalers and diversifiers, instead of simply incentivising digitalisation using a blanket approach usually by offering financial aid. Understanding how digitisation can support (or not) family firm resilience and growth in an effective and efficient manner can have significant benefit to individual firms, and across industries.
Originality/value – The proposed model extends theoretical understanding linking strategy, digitalisation
activity and innovation in family farms. It shows that digitalisation is a key building block of scaling strategies,
maximising digitalisation to increase efficiency. Yet, diversifying family farms minimise digitalisation,
whereby they only digitalise a small amount of the farming activity. This empirical evidence contrasts with the wider narrative that farmers are slower at using new technology. This research found that some are slower
because it does not align with their strategy. However, sometimes digitalisation aligns with their strategy
during external changes, in which case the diversifiers are quick to act
Exploring the uncharted influence of family social capital in entrepreneurial ecosystems
Full text linkPurpose
The purpose of this research is to develop theory, thereby attending to the existing knowledge gap regarding the impact of family firms on entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs). Reducing such a gap is both timely and relevant given the ubiquity of family firms across the globe and the lack of theoretical development at the intersection of EE and family firm literatures. By employing social capital theory in a propositional theorizing approach, this article presents unique propositions that enrich current understanding of the EE phenomenon.
Design/methodology/approach
Our method adopts a three-step propositional theorizing approach. The first step outlines our conceptualization, drawing on social capital theory and identifying multiple levels of analysis pertaining to EEs and family firms. The second step precisely identifies the constructs used for the theorization process, drawing upon relevant literature. The third step involves proposition building, which produces our findings.
Findings
As a result of our propositional theorizing method, we developed 10 theoretical propositions to explain interactions between family members, nonfamily entrepreneurs, family firms and new ventures in the EE, thereby focusing on the social elements of the EE and reducing its conceptual complexity while extending the explanatory power of family social capital in the EE.
Research limitations/implications
Despite being increasingly relevant in research, policy and practice discourse, EEs remain under theorized. By theorizing in this context, we provide explanations of the mechanisms to explain social interactions between family members, nonfamily entrepreneurs, family firms and new ventures and how such interactions are likely to provide better access to the untapped resources in the EE. Furthermore, our theorization also identifies underexplored research areas paving the way for future scholars.
Practical implications
This article is relevant to practitioners and policymakers interested in creating balanced, inclusive and effective EE policies and interventions. Our theorization generates insights that complement a bottom-up approach where the state assumes a facilitating role for actors such as family firms to positively impact their EE. This research is both timely and necessary because, if unaddressed, it will lead to ineffective and potentially exclusionary policies and EE interventions.
Originality/value
We contribute to the literature by synthesizing the two domains and thereby advancing knowledge at the intersection of EE and family firm literatures. We strengthen the link between two burgeoning research areas through a propositional theorizing mode of theory development. Under the assumptions of a grand theory, social capital theory, we highlight the benefits that derive from social interactions in the EE between family firms and other EE actors
Unpacking willingness in family firms facing the digital transformation
Full text linkDigital transformation introduces a new set of parameters for firm innovation. Existing literature has found that family firms vary on their willingness to innovate. However, explanations of the factors that lead to a family firm’s (un)willingness to act remain scarce. Even more scarce are studies exploring the family firm’s (un)willingness in the digital transformation. The digital transformation is a promising environmental stimulus to unpack family firm (un)willingness due to its disruptive nature. This research uses a comparative multiple case study of 14 manufacturing family firms. The novel findings identify a variety of dispositions that can be divided into willingness-enabling and willingness-suppressing. Willingness affects how family firms potentially (do not) take advantage of the opportunities provided by the digital transformation. The contributions are twofold. First, the importance of considering the heterogeneity of family firms’ willingness toward digital transformation is highlighted. Second, by identifying the role of dispositions and related mechanisms we unpack the heterogeneity of the willingness. In sum, we provide a much-needed explanation of family firms in the digital transformation
Managing the Ability-Willingness Paradox Through Family Firms’ Discretion in Digital Transformation
No full textThe role of conscientiousness in the orchestration of entrepreneurial ecosystems: A case study of the Beretta family firm
No full textEntrepreneurial Ecosystems (EE) as a phenomenon that considers the interactions between specific elements in a proximity to one another often overlooks the role of family firms. Family firms, as the most ubiquitous form of organization in the world, offer peculiar resources and behaviours that impact their surrounding elements. Through a longitudinal revelatory qualitative case study on a long-standing family firm named Beretta, we discover the role of conscientiousness as a key mechanism that facilitates positive interactions between the family firm and their EE. Our findings show that in tandem with longevity and growth, conscientiousness provides a concern for the EE which influence the firm’s goals. Thereby, we advance knowledge at the intersection of the family firm and EE literatures. In addition, our research offers family firm conscientiousness as a key variable for practitioners and policy makers when considering EE policy as an untapped resource. This is timely given the increasing pressure for firms to be environmentally and socially sustainable
Digitalization in family firms: Current debates and future research directions
No full textPurpose: In the family firm literature studies on the topic of digitalization are increasing. Thus, a need arises to take stock of knowledge and summarize current debates. In addition, given the overlap with innovation, this article provides several points of alignment between the two literatures.
Design/methodology/approach: This systematic literature review follows the seminal guidelines of Tranfield et al. (2003) for an analysis of the family firm digitalization literature. The findings include the analysis of 41 articles published between the period 2018-2023, identifying family, firm, and external factors.
Findings: The multi-level framework (family, firm, external) is used to frame the factors which influences digitalization in family firms.
Originality: The digital transformation pervades societies across the world prompting firms to adapt. The knowledge within this article concerns the most common organizational form in the world, family firms, and summarizes important factors that can influence how they adapt to the digital transformation.
Research limitations/implications: Researchers gain from this article two things, the first is an overview of what family firm scholars know about family firm digitalization. The second is a well-structured research agenda, explicating how the family firm innovation literature can be used to support and encourage scholars to advance the topic.
Practical implications: For family firm practitioners, it delivers insights of how the family influences the firm’s digitalization efforts. Such insights can help practitioners be more proactive in their management of digitalization in family firms.
Social implications: The potential implications of how family firms approach digitalization holds profound social and economic implications
Family firms' investment in and implementation of Industry 4.0: A social capital theoretical perspective
No full textThe fourth industrial revolution (I4.0) is critically relevant to the future of busi-ness management. In this study, we theoretically examine I4.0 investment andimplementation from a social capital perspective. By explicating the various formsof social capital in family firms—namely, family-owned, family-managed, multi-generational, and single-generation family firms—we offer a deep reflection onthe heterogeneity of social capital in the world’s most common form of organiza-tion. Our theoretical reasoning culminates in a model that delineates four proposi-tions, each corresponding to a specific form of social capital and its relevance tothe drivers of I4.0 investment and implementation. Subsequently, we establishconceptual links between the I4.0 and family social capital literature, contributingto knowledge by advancing three streams of the literature. First, within the familysocial capital literature, we offer a better understanding of the boundary condi-tions of social capital, a deeper reflection on its heterogeneity, and a shift in focusfrom its impact on firm performance to its role in knowledge creation for I4.0.Second, within the family firm literature, we unpack the importance of the genera-tional element in I4.0 investment and implementation. Third, within the I4.0 liter-ature, we offer fresh insights from a sociological perspective that complementexisting technological perspectives. Our study also provides directions for futureresearch for scholars looking to advance this domai
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