Advancing diversity research in family business

Abstract

The purpose of this special issue is to advance the ongoing dialogue on gender diversity in family businesses and, more generally, encourage further research on individual distinctions to foster an inclusive milieu leading to greater equity, innovation, and organizational resilience. The studies in this special issue exemplify various aspects of gender diversity in family business, offering innovative perspectives to examine gender roles and representation within family businesses. Building on these articles, we offer a perspective that combines feminist theories with a social identity theory approach, going beyond the Business Case for gender equality and incorporating an emphasis on gender and power dynamics and identities. We conclude by proposing several future research directions to advance gender diversity studies in family business context.