In What Ways is Qualitative Research Vital to Family Business Scholarship? A Review of Past Trends and Planning for New Futures

In spite of various calls for the application of more qualitative methodologies in family business research, it is our contention that qualitative methodologies are underutilized in family business research. This is evidenced by reference to an annotated bibliography of family business studies which demonstrates not only the dominance of quantitative methods but also a preponderance of multiple-case studies as the most commonly-used qualitative research tool. Our study discusses the kinds of research questions and topics being addressed through qualitative methods, as well as how different qualitative methods are being used in extant family business research. From this, we identify key features that are occurring in the usage of qualitative methods as well as gaps in methodologies not being applied. It is argued that qualitative methods have much to offer than is currently being exploited in family business research and some suggestions are made for new avenues of qualitative research that can take account of contextual factors, processes unfolding over time, meaning-making, the interpretation of interpretation, sense-making, situated actions, discursive positions, interactions or relationality of family dynamics.