Högskolan i Skövde

In this paper I address the concept of family within the family firm context as it is represented in family business research. I argue that the social construction of family is based on heteronormative expectations, i.e. the family consists of a man and woman (as a married couple) plus children. Although this assumption is rarely made explicit, it dominates the view when talking about family business. However, not even this traditional view of family can be kept since it is not representing ‘new’ or alternative families. As there might be a rationale for this in the individual study, we should be careful when comparing studies that use the traditional ‘heteronormative’ definition of family without elaboration. Based on the reviewed literature, it is argued that we could gain new and exciting insights when accounting for these non-traditional family firms.