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Handbook of Qualitative Research Methods for Family Business
This timely Handbook provides a comprehensive guide to the methodological challenges of qualitative research in family business. Written by an international, multidisciplinary team of experts in the field, the Handbook provides practical guidance based on the experiences of senior researchers, and features reflective discussion on how to craft insightful, rigorous studies.
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Critical Acclaim
Contributors
Contents
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This indispensable Handbook provides a timely and comprehensive guide to the methodological challenges of qualitative research in family business. Written by an international, multidisciplinary team of experts in the field, the Handbook takes a hands-on approach, offering valuable insights into a range of methods and related questions.
Providing practical guidance based on the experiences of senior researchers, as well as expanding conceptual understanding of qualitative methods, chapters explore existing practices and issues common to many research projects, such as getting access to informants and technical or publication hurdles. Featuring reflective discussion on how to craft insightful, rigorous studies, the Handbook will increase scholars’ confidence in using qualitative methods in their own research, from traditional case studies to more recent methods such as QCA.
This Handbook will prove invaluable to instructors of qualitative research methods, as well as scholars and students of family business and entrepreneurship. Researchers using qualitative methods in other social sciences will also find its recommendations relevant and useful.
Providing practical guidance based on the experiences of senior researchers, as well as expanding conceptual understanding of qualitative methods, chapters explore existing practices and issues common to many research projects, such as getting access to informants and technical or publication hurdles. Featuring reflective discussion on how to craft insightful, rigorous studies, the Handbook will increase scholars’ confidence in using qualitative methods in their own research, from traditional case studies to more recent methods such as QCA.
This Handbook will prove invaluable to instructors of qualitative research methods, as well as scholars and students of family business and entrepreneurship. Researchers using qualitative methods in other social sciences will also find its recommendations relevant and useful.
Critical Acclaim
‘One of the reasons for the shortage of qualitative studies published in top academic journals has been the lack of rigorous methodological directions. Alfredo De Massis and Nadine Kammerlander’s Handbook fills this gap by offering an encompassing set of guidelines and clever suggestions to perform rich investigations of the most salient phenomena in family business, and to publish the results. These thoughtful and immediately applicable methods tremendously enhance scholars'' ability to understand and explain these complex and fascinating organizations.’
– Carlo Salvato, Bocconi University, Italy
‘Globally, interest in researching phenomena surrounding family businesses and business families is growing. Simultaneously, expectations regarding rigor and quality of research methods are also being elevated. This edited book serves as an invaluable resource for scholars seeking to produce meaningful and impactful qualitative research, not just in family business but in related fields as well.’
– Tyge Payne, Texas Tech University, US
‘This Handbook provides much needed insight into specific challenges and opportunities of doing qualitative research in family business. It offers young (and young-at-heart) scholars excellent guidance, from experienced family business researchers, about available methods and how to best apply them to examine the unique dynamics that characterize family firms.’
– Davide Ravasi, University College London, UK
‘Professors De Massis and Kammerlander have produced a magnificent volume that bridges two timely topics: qualitative methods and family business. I look forward to the many theoretical advancements that will result from the application of the approaches and techniques described herein.’
– Herman Aguinis, The George Washington University School of Business, US
‘This is a superb book on a critical and much-neglected approach to family business research. It offers a set of inspiring chapters by leading authors that do a wonderful job of addressing the core techniques and challenges of qualitative methods as they apply to family firm research. I most highly recommend this book to all family business researchers wishing to plumb more deeply the dynamics, problems and opportunities of family enterprise.’
– Danny Miller, HEC Montréal, Canada
– Carlo Salvato, Bocconi University, Italy
‘Globally, interest in researching phenomena surrounding family businesses and business families is growing. Simultaneously, expectations regarding rigor and quality of research methods are also being elevated. This edited book serves as an invaluable resource for scholars seeking to produce meaningful and impactful qualitative research, not just in family business but in related fields as well.’
– Tyge Payne, Texas Tech University, US
‘This Handbook provides much needed insight into specific challenges and opportunities of doing qualitative research in family business. It offers young (and young-at-heart) scholars excellent guidance, from experienced family business researchers, about available methods and how to best apply them to examine the unique dynamics that characterize family firms.’
– Davide Ravasi, University College London, UK
‘Professors De Massis and Kammerlander have produced a magnificent volume that bridges two timely topics: qualitative methods and family business. I look forward to the many theoretical advancements that will result from the application of the approaches and techniques described herein.’
– Herman Aguinis, The George Washington University School of Business, US
‘This is a superb book on a critical and much-neglected approach to family business research. It offers a set of inspiring chapters by leading authors that do a wonderful job of addressing the core techniques and challenges of qualitative methods as they apply to family firm research. I most highly recommend this book to all family business researchers wishing to plumb more deeply the dynamics, problems and opportunities of family enterprise.’
– Danny Miller, HEC Montréal, Canada
Contributors
Contributors: R. Adiguna, N. Bhatnagar, M. Brumana, A. Calabrò, A. Colli, A. Dawson, A. De Massis, C. Dessì, A. Dettori, G. Dorian, K.D. Elsbach, P. Fernandez Perez, D. Fletcher, M. Floris, I. Ghai, W. Gibb Dyer, V.L. Glaser, F. Hoy, A.E. James, J.E. Jennings, N. Kammerlander, K. Kampouri, R. Labaki, G. Laffranchini, G. Lauto, T. Leppäaho, L. Melin, E. Micelotta, L.M. Nor, M. Nordqvist, E. Paavilainen-Mäntymäki, M.J. Parada Balderrama, D. Pittino, E. Plakoyiannaki, C. Pongelli, K. Ramachandran, A. Ruzzene, A.G. Sandig, P. Sharma, E.A. Tetzlaff, J. van Helvert-Beugels, K. Vasilevska, F. Visintin, M. Waldkirch, M. Yusof
Contents
Contents:
List of contributors vii
Foreword by Roy Suddaby x
Foreword by Professor Trish Reay xii
1 Frequently asked questions in qualitative family business research and some
guidelines to avoid risky paths 1
Nadine Kammerlander and Alfredo De Massis
PART I TRENDS AND PROSPECTS IN FAMILY BUSINESS
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS
2 Qualitative research in family business: methodological insights to leverage
inspiration, avoid data asphyxiation and develop robust theory 25
Evelyn Micelotta, Vern L. Glaser and Gabrielle Dorian
3 Full-cycle research in family business contexts: combining qualitative case
studies and quantitative methods 48
Kimberly D. Elsbach and Ishita Ghai
4 Ethnography: a much-advocated but underused qualitative methodology
in published accounts of family business research 72
Denise Fletcher and Rocky Adiguna
5 Historical methods in family business studies 98
Andrea Colli and Paloma Fernandez Perez
PART II CASE STUDY RESEARCH
6 The evolution of case study methodology in the study of family enterprises 125
Giacomo Laffranchini and Frank Hoy
7 The case study in family business: current perspectives and suggestions for
the future 161
Tanja Leppäaho, Emmanuella Plakoyiannaki, Katerina Kampouri and
Eriikka Paavilainen-Mäntymäki
8 Religion and business families’ philanthropic practices 191
Navneet Bhatnagar, Pramodita Sharma and Kavil Ramachandran
9 How can qualitative research advance the understanding of family firms’
internationalization? A multiple case study of family firms internationalizing
into China and India 208
Claudia Pongelli and Andrea Calabrò
PART III USING NARRATIVE-BASED APPROACHES AND
INVESTIGATING INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS
10 Mapping narratives in family business studies: a guideline for researchers 224
Michela Floris, Cinzia Dessì and Angela Dettori
11 Growth through innovation and internationalization: exploring the role of
family business identity through narrative analysis 248
Alexandra Dawson, Maria José Parada Balderrama and Alberto Gimeno
Sandig
12 Illuminating the space between: investigating interpersonal relationships in
family firms through qualitative inquiry 270
Matthias Waldkirch
PART IV ALTERNATIVE METHODS AND METHODOLOGIES
13 Reasons, opportunities and methods for a visual analysis of organizational
tensions in family business 284
Mara Brumana, Attilia Ruzzene and Katerina Vasilevska
14 The fsQCA method in family business research 304
Daniel Pittino, Francesca Visintin and Giancarlo Lauto
15 Treating non-family managers like family: new insights from a re-analysis of
pre-existing qualitative interview data 321
Jennifer E. Jennings, Albert E. James and Elizabeth A. Tetzlaff
16 Research methods on emotions in family business 351
Rania Labaki
PART V PUBLISHING QUALITATIVE FAMILY BUSINESS RESEARCH
AND ADDRESSING PRACTICAL ISSUES
17 Why do so many qualitative studies of family businesses get rejected?
Confessions of a recovering associate editor of the Family Business Review 390
W. Gibb Dyer
18 Engaging practitioners in qualitative family business research: an engaged
scholarship approach 399
Judith van Helvert-Beugels, Mattias Nordqvist and Leif Melin
19 Bridging communication, building trust: the art and science of getting
access to informants and preparing them for in-depth qualitative inquiry 418
Leilanie Mohd Nor and Mohar Yusof
Index 427
List of contributors vii
Foreword by Roy Suddaby x
Foreword by Professor Trish Reay xii
1 Frequently asked questions in qualitative family business research and some
guidelines to avoid risky paths 1
Nadine Kammerlander and Alfredo De Massis
PART I TRENDS AND PROSPECTS IN FAMILY BUSINESS
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS
2 Qualitative research in family business: methodological insights to leverage
inspiration, avoid data asphyxiation and develop robust theory 25
Evelyn Micelotta, Vern L. Glaser and Gabrielle Dorian
3 Full-cycle research in family business contexts: combining qualitative case
studies and quantitative methods 48
Kimberly D. Elsbach and Ishita Ghai
4 Ethnography: a much-advocated but underused qualitative methodology
in published accounts of family business research 72
Denise Fletcher and Rocky Adiguna
5 Historical methods in family business studies 98
Andrea Colli and Paloma Fernandez Perez
PART II CASE STUDY RESEARCH
6 The evolution of case study methodology in the study of family enterprises 125
Giacomo Laffranchini and Frank Hoy
7 The case study in family business: current perspectives and suggestions for
the future 161
Tanja Leppäaho, Emmanuella Plakoyiannaki, Katerina Kampouri and
Eriikka Paavilainen-Mäntymäki
8 Religion and business families’ philanthropic practices 191
Navneet Bhatnagar, Pramodita Sharma and Kavil Ramachandran
9 How can qualitative research advance the understanding of family firms’
internationalization? A multiple case study of family firms internationalizing
into China and India 208
Claudia Pongelli and Andrea Calabrò
PART III USING NARRATIVE-BASED APPROACHES AND
INVESTIGATING INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS
10 Mapping narratives in family business studies: a guideline for researchers 224
Michela Floris, Cinzia Dessì and Angela Dettori
11 Growth through innovation and internationalization: exploring the role of
family business identity through narrative analysis 248
Alexandra Dawson, Maria José Parada Balderrama and Alberto Gimeno
Sandig
12 Illuminating the space between: investigating interpersonal relationships in
family firms through qualitative inquiry 270
Matthias Waldkirch
PART IV ALTERNATIVE METHODS AND METHODOLOGIES
13 Reasons, opportunities and methods for a visual analysis of organizational
tensions in family business 284
Mara Brumana, Attilia Ruzzene and Katerina Vasilevska
14 The fsQCA method in family business research 304
Daniel Pittino, Francesca Visintin and Giancarlo Lauto
15 Treating non-family managers like family: new insights from a re-analysis of
pre-existing qualitative interview data 321
Jennifer E. Jennings, Albert E. James and Elizabeth A. Tetzlaff
16 Research methods on emotions in family business 351
Rania Labaki
PART V PUBLISHING QUALITATIVE FAMILY BUSINESS RESEARCH
AND ADDRESSING PRACTICAL ISSUES
17 Why do so many qualitative studies of family businesses get rejected?
Confessions of a recovering associate editor of the Family Business Review 390
W. Gibb Dyer
18 Engaging practitioners in qualitative family business research: an engaged
scholarship approach 399
Judith van Helvert-Beugels, Mattias Nordqvist and Leif Melin
19 Bridging communication, building trust: the art and science of getting
access to informants and preparing them for in-depth qualitative inquiry 418
Leilanie Mohd Nor and Mohar Yusof
Index 427
