Title: The invisible bedrock: four constructs of family business space

Authors: Claire Seaman

Addresses: Management and Enterprise, School of Business, Enterprise and Management, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, EH21 6UU, UK

Abstract: Worldwide, family businesses form the most common type of business and families act as critical platforms for business and enterprise development. This paper draws upon the concept of space to propose a new framework within which family business can be considered. Starting from the proposal that creating space for business and enterprise to flourish is vital, the manner in which space may best facilitate the family business is considered as an extension of entrepreneurial space. Four spaces are proposed: conceptual space, where families and businesses exist in the minds of planners stands alongside cultural space where space is created within the family. Community space to facilitate development is vital - alongside contingency space where families and businesses apply idiosyncratic knowledge. The four dimensions of space are linked, it is proposed, by networks.

Keywords: family businesses; business space; families; critical platforms; business development; enterprise development; space creation; entrepreneurial space; conceptual space; planners; cultural space; contingency space; community space; idiosyncratic knowledge; networks; entrepreneurship; entrepreneurs; entrepreneurialism; management; sustainable development; sustainability.

DOI: 10.1504/WREMSD.2012.049388

World Review of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development, 2012 Vol.8 No.3, pp.297 - 307

Published online: 18 Sep 2014 *

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