An Overview of the Field of Family Business Studies: Current Status and Directions for

the Future
Based on a review of 17 refereed acticles on family business studies, the literature is
organized according to its focus on individual, interpersonal or group, organizational, and
societal levels of analysis. An assessment of status of our current understanding at each Level
is provided and directions for future research are suggested. A discussion of definitional
issues, bases of distinctiveness, and family firm performance is used to help understand the
domain or scope of the field. Methodological ussues and strategies aimed to enhance the pace
at which the field achieves a distinctive legitimate place in organizational studies are
presented.

Whether measured in terms of numbers of

published acticles, publication outlets,
schools offering family business programs,
research support provided by private
donors
and
foundations,
or
the
membership of family firm associations,
the interest in family business studies is
increasing. As a field of study develops, it
is important to intermittently pause to
evaluate the progress made and reflect on
the directions to pursue in future so as to
gain deeper insights into the phenomenon
of interest. The purpose of this review is to
provide such a reflective moment for the
field of family business studies, as the
primary scholarly journal of the field,
Family Business Review, embarks on its
new journey with blackwell publishing.
The guiding principle of any professional
investigation in social sciences is to clarify
our understanding of the segment of the
social world that is of interest (Lindblom
&
Cohen,
1979).
Scholars
and

practitioners interested in family firms

studies seek to gain new insights and
knowledge into the causal procesess that
underline these firms (cf. Lewin, 1940).
Theory is an efficient tool that guides the
development of knowledge because it
helps make connections among abserved
phenomenon, there by helping build
conceptual frameworks that stimulate
understanding (Sutton & Staw, 1995). It
aids in building connections between the
work at hand and preexisting research,
thus making use of our acumulative
knowledge to reveal a range of alternatives
for effective action (Lindblom & Cohen,
1979; Moore, 1962; Weiss, 1977). Kurt
Lewins
(1945)
often

quoted
endorsement of theory, there is nothing so
practical as a good theory, suggests the
key role of theory in guiding effective
practice.