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Look in to look out: strategy and family business identity during COVID-19

Author

Listed:
  • Rebecca Alguera Kleine

    (Witten/Herdecke University)

  • Bingbing Ge

    (Lancaster University Management School)

  • Alfredo Massis

    (Lancaster University Management School
    Free University of Bozen-Bolzano
    IMD Business School
    Zhejiang University)

Abstract

COVID-19 challenges the value systems of family firms and urges them to adapt their behaviors, affecting their identities. This study aims to explore how and why family businesses strategically respond to challenges to their identity during COVID-19. Based on a qualitative case study of six German family firms, we propose a process model of family business identity variations during COVID-19 with three propositions, highlighting the interplay between strategy and identity. Counterintuitively, we found that an exogenous shock like COVID-19 can have a positive effect on family business identity, leading to identity clarification or consolidation. We contribute to the growing stream of research investigating the impact of COVID-19 on SMEs, as well as research on family business identity heterogeneity and organizational identity literature by illustrating the interplay between strategy and identity.

Suggested Citation

  • Rebecca Alguera Kleine & Bingbing Ge & Alfredo Massis, 2024. "Look in to look out: strategy and family business identity during COVID-19," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 63(3), pages 993-1018, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:sbusec:v:63:y:2024:i:3:d:10.1007_s11187-023-00846-3
    DOI: 10.1007/s11187-023-00846-3
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Family business identity; COVID-19; Strategy; Exogenous shock; Multiple case study; Mittelstand;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D21 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Theory
    • L21 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Business Objectives of the Firm
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship

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