As part of the S&O Seminar Series we welcome Lorraine Uhlaner, Professor of Management at the EDHEC Business School to present: A Paradox Lens of the Entrepreneuring Family: A qualitative study of family-owned wineries and agritourism in the Langhe region

Two opposing perspectives have emerged in the literature on family firms’ engagement in corporate entrepreneurship. The first perspective suggests that family firms are dynamic and possess unique resources that support corporate entrepreneurship. The second perspective associates family ownership with resistance to change, conservative behavior, and overall obstacles to corporate entrepreneurship. To explain these differences in corporate entrepreneurship engagement across family firms, we propose a paradoxical identity framework and unpack the potential paradox of family identity orientation and a corporate entrepreneurial identity orientation that exist when considering entrepreneurship in family firms, The proposed framework helps to explain the evidence of two contrasting hybrid organizational identities across firms—that of the traditional or conservative versus the entrepreneuring family firm, by exploring cognitive, emotional and behavioral mechanisms which may enhance or reduce paradox salience. The study draws upon a qualitative analysis of twenty in-depth interviews of family owners of wineries in the Langhe region of northern Italy. In addition to contributing to understanding of the evolution of the entrepreneuring family firm organizational identity, we also enhance our understanding of the micro-foundations of paradox theory.

Lorraine Uhlaner is Professor of Management, specialized in Entrepreneurship and Family Business, at EDHEC Business School, on the Lille Campus in Roubaix, France. Her primary research interests focus on the privately-held firm, including both family and nonfamily SMEs. Much of her research addresses the intersection of entrepreneurship, family business and innovation management, covering a range of topics including corporate governance, responsible ownership and corporate social responsibility, human resource management, and knowledge management. Other research has focused on the effects of informal (cultural) and formal institutional influences on (social) entrepreneurial behavior. Recent award-winning articles are published in Journal of International Business Studies, Journal of Product Innovation Management, Human Relations and Journal of Family Business Strategy. Other academic articles are published in Journal of Business Ethics, Family Business Review, Corporate Governance: An International Review, Small Business Economics Journal, Journal of Business Venturing, Journal of Small Business Management, and Journal of Family Business Strategy. Full details can be found on her homepage