Paradoxes in a Family Business

Abstract

Attention to the subject of organizational paradoxes has been increasing in the last several years as organizational scholars have extolled the opportunities offered by tensions, contradictions, and oppositions in understanding organizations, organizing, and the organized. This paper demonstrates the theoretical and empirical value of applying a paradox lens on family businesses that undergo a fundamental process of change by discussing three interrelated paradoxes: the paradox of ownership, the paradox of consultancy, and the family business paradox.