City Research Online

Abstract

Scholars stress that family firms are inherently paradoxical, and that tensions, such as tradition versus change, family liquidity versus business growth, and founder control versus successor autonomy, can both inhibit and foster innovation. Further, theorists propose that firms led by paradoxical thinkers are more likely to manage these tensions and fuel innovative behavior. Leveraging family business and organizational paradox literatures, this multi-stage exploratory study develops measures of paradoxical tensions and paradoxical thinking in family firms, and tests these propositions. Findings indicate that paradoxical tensions may stymie innovative behavior, but that leaders' paradoxical thinking is positively related to innovative behavior.

Publication Type:	Article
Additional Information:	This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Ingram, A. E., Lewis, M. W., Barton, S. and Gartner, W. B. (2016), Paradoxes and Innovation in Family Firms: The Role of Paradoxical Thinking. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 40: 161–176., which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/etap.12113. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.
Publisher Keywords:	family business, paradoxical tensions, paradoxical thinking, innovation
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor
Departments:	Bayes Business School > Management
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

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