CeFEO Researchers granted 4 960 000 SEK from Swedish Research Council

We are really happy to announce that Professor Ethel Brundin and Assistant Professor Markus Plate are granted 4 960 000 SEK from

TRANS-GENERATIONAL CONTINUITY OF THE OWNING FAMILY: IDENTITY FORMATION, RELATIONSHIP DYNAMICS AND EMOTIONAL INFLUENCE

This project investigates the interplay of identity, self-conscious emotions, and relationships within the family business context. Hereby we focus on the owning family and its striving for trans-generational prosperity. We posit that matters of identity (especially owner identity), family relationships, and the accompanying self-conscious emotions have a tremendous impact on whether and how family members commit to the business, and how relationships influence the decision-making capability of the owning family. We apply an individual perspective over time (identity formation over the life path) and a family perspective (present family dynamics and family functioning) and a research framework that links self-conscious emotions (pride, shame, jealousy e.g.), identity and relationships (a so called the SIR-framework) and its implications for trans-generational continuity of the family business. In this framework, we show how identity is created in relationships (and vice versa) and argue that the formation of a functional owner identity, a system of healthy relationships and a constructive handling of self-conscious emotions can be seen as the socio-psychological foundation of what might be named “professional ownership”.

Markus Plate is the Project Manager.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Ethel Brundin

Markus Plate