CFP: The Family and Enterprise (JMS)

[entrepreneurship-phd at lists.uni-due.de]

Call for Papers for a Special Issue of The Journal of Management
Studies:
The Family and Enterprise: Unpacking the Connections
Deadline: 1 June 2007

Editors
William Schulze, University of Utah
Eric Gedajlovic, University of Connecticut

It is taken as axiomatic in economic theory that competitive forces
extinguish inefficient forms of business enterprise, leaving only those
which are structurally the most fit with respect to prevailing market
conditions. Similarly, a fundamental tenet of organizational theory is
that one can explain the prevalence and distribution of an
organizational form with respect to the fit of that form to its context.
By these standards, the family enterprise has proven to be a remarkably
efficient and robust organizational form: They are not only the world's
most common form of economic organization, but, as La Porta et al (1999)
have noted, large family-controlled enterprises dominate the global
economic landscape.

Despite their ubiquity and economic significance, there exists a
striking absence of research that explains the prominence, or even the
existence, of this unique economic institution. For this special edition
of the Journal of Management Studies, we seek theoretically grounded
research that examines the strategic and performance attributes of the
Family Business as a form of business enterprise. In doing so, these
papers should also shed light on the broader and more fundamental issue
of why this form of business enterprise exists, persists, and flourishes
across diverse institutional contexts and in competition with other
forms of business enterprise. To this end, we are especially interested
in papers that address the following research questions.

* What theories explain the types of organizational structures, business
and corporate strategies and resource acquisition practices commonly
utilized by family businesses?
* How does the coupling of ownership and control in the hands of family
members influence a firm's strategic objectives and behavior?
* What explains the ability of family businesses to survive and thrive
within and across diverse product markets and institutional contexts?
* How does the reciprocal influence of family and business dynamics
affect a firm's ability to develop and sustain rent-producing
capabilities?
* What are the competitive advantages and disadvantages of family
businesses relative to other forms of business enterprise?

Submissions to the special issue should be sent electronically (in
Microsoft Word) to

Professor Schulze (William.Schulze at Utah.edu) or to Professor Gedajlovic
at (eg at gedajlovic.com) before June 1, 2007. The format of these papers
should comply with Journal of Management Studies Guidelines.

Papers submitted to the 3rd Annual Family Enterprise Research Conference
(FERC) which will be held on April 27-29, 2007 in Monterrey Mexico, will
also be considered for the special issue. Although participation in FERC
is not a necessary condition for acceptance to the Special Issue, we
encourage all potential authors to attend. Details on this year's FERC
conference can be found at (www.udem.edu.mx/centros/ef/ferc2007) or
(www.organizations.utep.edu/cedars). The tentative timetable for the
special issue is: 

January 31, 2007 Conference papers submitted electronically to FERC
(FERC at UTEP.EDU

March 15, 2007 Authors notified if paper is selected for consideration
at the Conference. FERC reviews sent April 27-29, 2007 FERC, Monterrey,
Mexico

June 1, 2007 Revised conference papers and new submissions to Special
Issue submitted electronically to the editors Fall 2007 Requests for
revisions returned to authors

Spring 2008 Authors notified if paper accepted for Special Issue June 1,
2008 Completed Special Issue submitted to JMS for publication

More info at http://www.ifera.org/pdfs/CallFor%20Papers_JMS.pdf