Family business: A psychological road map as an instrument to highlight intergenerational dynamics

Journal title RICERCHE DI PSICOLOGIA
Author/s Maura Pozzi, Silvio Carlo Ripamonti
Publishing Year 2019 Issue 2019/2
Language Italian Pages 27 P. 285-311 File size 364 KB
DOI 10.3280/RIP2019-002004
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The aim of the present paper is to identify the implicit theories of the generational processes in family businesses (Family Business - FB), providing a graphical/ spatial representation (map). This map can be used to picture a FB along 16 "key categories" both from Senior and Junior living into FB. The aim of the map is to promote a dialogue between the generations involved, especially in the delicate phase of the generational transition inside the firm. The map is a useful tool that consultants can use to trigger a dialogue between the generations involved in the process: it also makes visible the representations of operation of the firm that each protagonist of the generational transition uses. The graphic/spatial representation of the map is its strong point. It is indeed a visual medium that makes clear the distance/closeness between the deep ideas of each one about his/her company. The hypothesis is to promote awareness about the representations that each actor uses orienting him/herself in his/her daily work. It is not yet present a study of the implicit theories of the FB that supports the dialogue and the comparison on the aspects about the interweaving between family and firm, and that supports the sharing of the representations used by the protagonists in the orientation of the strategic choices that influence the life of the firm.

Keywords: Family business, change, implicit theories, generational transition.

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Maura Pozzi, Silvio Carlo Ripamonti, Le imprese di famiglia: una road map psicologica come strumento di lettura delle dinamiche intergenerazionali in "RICERCHE DI PSICOLOGIA " 2/2019, pp 285-311, DOI: 10.3280/RIP2019-002004