Generations in Family Business: A Multifield Review and Future Research Agenda

Abstract

The concept of generations has become increasingly important in the social science fields to explain diverse phenomena affecting organizations. This is especially true in the family business field where generations are considered a constitutive element. Nevertheless, there is still a limited understanding of generations and the implications of their involvement in family business. We review prior studies on generations by considering different social science fields, which we analyze according to a novel theoretical framework. Building on this framework, and placing particular emphasis on family firms, we identify important knowledge gaps that serve as a springboard for future research.