Family Business Review (FBR) provides a scholarly forum to publish conceptual, theoretical and empirical research aimed to advance the understanding of family enterprise around the world. FBR publishes insightful articles that address issues at the interface of family and business systems. It is the only SSCI listed refereed journal devoted exclusively to exploration of the dynamics of family enterprise. Its interdisciplinary forum captures the insights of professions from diverse fields such as accounting, behavioral sciences, entrepreneurship, finance, management, family business and family wealth consulting, law and public policy.
“The Succession Conspiracy,” by Ivan Lansberg, Yale University, was published in the June 1988 issue of Family Business Review. It is the most-frequently cited article of July 2011 with 72 citations. Most-cited rankings are recalculated at the beginning of the month. Rankings are based on citations to articles on this journal site from articles in HighWire-hosted journals.
The lack of succession planning has been identified as one of the most important reasons why many first-generation family firms do not survive their founders. This paper explores some of the factors that interfere with succession planning and suggests ways in which these barriers can be constructively managed.
“What Constitutes a Theoretical Contribution in Family Business,” by Trish Reay, University of Alberta, and David A. Whetten, Brigham Young University, was published in the June 2011 issue of Family Business Review. It is the most-frequently read article of July 2011 with 128 views. Most-read rankings are recalculated at the beginning of the month and are based on full-text and pdf views.
In this editorial, although many of our comments and suggestions apply to all areas of organizational studies, we focus on how authors can make a theoretical contribution to family business. We draw on advice and suggestions from previously published articles and book chapters as well as our own experiences to explain ways in which we believe authors can build their knowledge base and skill set regarding the development of a theoretical contribution.
