Opportunity recognition in family entrepreneurship: voluntaristic and deterministic orientations of individual cognitions

Abstract

This article focuses on the multi-subject opportunity recognition processes in family firms recognizing the mutual impact of individuals and collective cognitions shared by the multiple subjects. In doing so, we propose an interpretative framework based on distinguishing two psychological perspectives: following a deterministic approach, we outline the impact of a collective cognition on individual cognitions of the participants; on the other hand, a voluntaristic approach shows the impact of individuals on collective cognitions in terms of intuition, emotional support, and perception. Specifically, we stress the need of a more voluntaristic approach in family business literature, examining the sources of family members’ heterogeneous individual cognitions. Such differences can be analyzed through the entrepreneurial family vision which encompasses both on a temporal focus prospected future market conditions and the composition of different individual cognitions via a family’s value congruence. We propose that the first element confers a forwarding looking to the prospect on opportunity recognition, while the second one grants to such a prospect a collectively shared understanding.

ABSTRAIT

Cet article étudie les processus d'identification d'opportunités par des acteurs multiples impliqué dans des entreprises familiales, en étudiant les impacts respectifs des cognitions individuelle et collective. Nous proposons un cadre théorique fondé sur deux perspectives psychologiques: en adoptant d’une part une approche déterministe, nous soulignons l'impact de la cognition collective sur la cognition individuelle; puis en adoptant une approche volontariste, nous mettons en lumière l'impact des individus sur la cognition collective de par l'intuition, le soutien émotionnel et la perception. En particulier, nous insistons sur la nécessité de mobiliser l'approche volontariste plus souvent dans la littérature sur les entreprises familiales, afin d'examiner les sources de l'hétérogénéité cognitive individuelle au sein d’un groupe. Ces différences peuvent être analysées dans une perspective entrepreneuriale, où la congruence des valeurs familiale se mélange avec les différentes cognitions individuelles. Nous proposons que les premiers elements soient attribues a l'identification des opportunites orientee vers l'avenir, alors que le deuxieme element soit relatif a une comprehension partagee.

Keywords:

• Opportunity recognition
• collective decision-making process
• family entrepreneurship
• family business

Mots clÉs:

• identification d'opportunités; les processus collectif de décision; l'entrepreneuriat familial; entreprises familiale

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Cizhi Wang

Cizhi Wang is currently a third-year PhD student in the Department of Management and Law of the University of Rome Tor Vergata. His research interests are entrepreneurship in family business, family entrepreneurship, and interaction of family members in entrepreneurial family.

Massimiliano Matteo Pellegrini

Massimiliano M. Pellegrini is currently working at University of Rome ‘Tor Vergata,’ as a qualified associate professor (assistant professor with tenure). From the same university, he also received his PhD in 2011. Previously, he was a senior lecturer in Entrepreneurship at Roehampton University Business School. During his career, he covered several roles as permanent staff at Princess Sumaya University for Technology – Amman, Jordan and University of West London – London, UK as lecturer. As visiting scholar, he was associated with the research program of the University of Enlarger-Nuremberg – Chair in Innovation, Sol C. Snider Entrepreneurial Research Center at The Wharton School, and University of Linz. He is currently Chair for the Strategic Interest Group of Entrepreneurship (E-ship SIG) at the European Academy of Management (EURAM). His research interests and publications are focused on entrepreneurial and organizational behaviors; he published more than 30 contributions especially in highly ranked journals, for example J. of Business Ethics, J. of Managerial Psychology, Int. J. of Entrepreneurial Behaviours & Research, Business Process Management J., and European Business Review.

Wojciech Czakon

Wojciech Czakon is a Professor of Management in Institute of Economics and Management, Jagiellonian University. His research revolves around interorganizational phenomena, strategies, and structures. In particular, coopetition at different levels of analysis, and in various empirical settings including hi-tech, aviation, energy, and tourism has recently attracted his attention.

Luca Gnan

Luca Gnan is Professor of Organizational Behavior at Department of Management and Law, University of Rome Tor Vergata. His main research interests are family businesses and corporate governance, with a focus on board of directors, governance structures, and mechanisms. Other my research interests are the strategy formulation process, the role of models in decisional processes, and public governance.

Giulia Flamini

Giulia Flamini is currently a third-year PhD student in the Department of Management and Law of the University of Rome Tor Vergata. Her research interests include family firms and human resource management systems, with a special interest in the new concepts of managerialization and professionalization of family businesses.