Family firm and social capital: A brief literature review

Abstract

In recent years, increasing scholarly attention has been directed towards the field of family business and social capital research in which social capital refers to the resources derived from social relationships and family firm (firms in which a family possesses a significant ownership stake and in whose operations multiple family members are involved). However, while social capital has gained more acceptance in management research, it still often has the stigma of being an “exotic” area in mainstream firm research. The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it aims to establish an understanding of past and present research concerning social capital in family firm research. Second, it identifies future directions for conceptualising and researching social capital within family firms. As such, the author makes two main contributions. While providing insights on existing research and theories dealing with the role of social capital within family firm, it also identifies current research gaps and future directions for research of social capital in family firm.