Uncovering research trends in family business studies through bibliometric analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64282/phi.v3i2.127Keywords:
Family Business, Bibliometric Analysis, Research Trends, Social ImpactAbstract
This study aims to provide a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of family business literature, identifying emerging trends, key themes, and influential research clusters that have shaped its development. The research seeks to bridge the gap in existing literature by offering a systematic mapping of the field’s intellectual structure, revealing fragmentation, and proposing future directions. The study utilizes data sourced from the Scopus database, covering articles published between 2010 and 2026. A bibliometric approach was employed using the PRISMA framework for article selection and VOSviewer software to analyze key indicators such as publication trends, keyword co-occurrences, and citation performance. The analysis highlights the top 10 journals contributing to family business research, with the Journal of Family Business Management leading as the primary publication hub. Additionally, it identifies the countries with the highest publication and citation counts, with India and the United Kingdom taking the lead in global impact. Co-occurrence and clustering analysis further reveal three distinct research clusters focusing on the structural foundations (governance and succession), methodological landscapes, and internal drivers such as socioemotional wealth and innovation. The study also identifies future research areas such as corporate governance, social capital, innovation, and socioemotional wealth, which are critical for advancing the field. The findings contribute to a better understanding of the family business research trajectory and offer valuable insights for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners aiming to enhance the sustainability and professionalization of family-run enterprises.
References
Alkathiri, N. A., Said, F. B., Meyer, N., & Soliman, M. (2024). Knowledge management and sustainable entrepreneurship: A bibliometric overview and research agenda. Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 13(1), 38. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13731-024-00387-3
Anwar, M., Clauss, T., & Meyer, N. (2024). Entrepreneurship in family firms: An updated bibliometric overview. Review of Managerial Science, 18(2), 539–575. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11846-023-00650-z
Aparicio, G., Ramos, E., Casillas, J.-C., & Iturralde, T. (2021). Family Business Research in the Last Decade. A Bibliometric Review. European Journal of Family Business, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.24310/ejfbejfb.v11i1.12503
Arteaga, R., & Escribá-Esteve, A. (2021). Heterogeneity in family firms: Contextualising the adoption of family governance mechanisms. Journal of Family Business Management, 11(2), 200–222. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFBM-10-2019-0068
Berrone, P., Cruz, C., & Gomez-Mejia, L. R. (2012). Socioemotional Wealth in Family Firms: Theoretical Dimensions, Assessment Approaches, and Agenda for Future Research. Family Business Review, 25(3), 258–279. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894486511435355
Bohorquez-Lopez, V. W., García-Ortiz, P. A., & Méndez-Lazarte, C. (2024). Dynamic capabilities and family businesses: A perspective article. Journal of Family Business Management, 14(6), 1212–1221. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFBM-10-2023-0269
Calabrò, A., Torchia, M., Gomez‐Mejia, L. R., Pongelli, C., & Lohe, F. (2026). What Are Family Firms All About? Advancing Family Business Research Through Socioemotional Wealth Theory. Journal of Management Studies, 63(3), 1661–1700. https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.13263
Calabrò, A., Torchia, M., Jimenez, D. G., & Kraus, S. (2021). The role of human capital on family firm innovativeness: The strategic leadership role of family board members. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 17(1), 261–287. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-020-00657-y
Chaudhary, S., Dhir, A., Ferraris, A., & Bertoldi, B. (2021). Trust and reputation in family businesses: A systematic literature review of past achievements and future promises. Journal of Business Research, 137, 143–161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.07.052
De Massis, A., Frattini, F., Majocchi, A., & Piscitello, L. (2018). Family firms in the global economy: Toward a deeper understanding of internationalization determinants, processes, and outcomes. Global Strategy Journal, 8(1), 3–21. https://doi.org/10.1002/gsj.1199
De Massis, A., & Rondi, E. (2020). Covid‐19 and the Future of Family Business Research. Journal of Management Studies, 57(8), 1727–1731. https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12632
Dou, J., Su, E., Li, S., & Holt, D. T. (2021). Transgenerational entrepreneurship in entrepreneurial families: What is explicitly learned and what is successfully transferred? Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, 33(5–6), 427–441. https://doi.org/10.1080/08985626.2020.1727090
Ferreira, J. J., Fernandes, C. I., Schiavone, F., & Mahto, R. V. (2021). Sustainability in family business – A bibliometric study and a research agenda. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 173, 121077. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2021.121077
Forés, B., Breithaupt Janssen, Z., & Takashi Kato, H. (2021). A Bibliometric Overview of Tourism Family Business. Sustainability, 13(22), 12822. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212822
Glyptis, L., Hadjielias, E., Christofi, M., Kvasova, O., & Vrontis, D. (2021). Dynamic familiness capabilities and family business growth: A longitudinal perspective framed within management accounting. Journal of Business Research, 127, 346–363. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.01.019
Hernández-Perlines, F., Covin, J. G., & Ribeiro-Soriano, D. E. (2021). Entrepreneurial orientation, concern for socioemotional wealth preservation, and family firm performance. Journal of Business Research, 126, 197–208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.12.050
Herrero, I. (2018). How Familial Is Family Social Capital? Analyzing Bonding Social Capital in Family and Nonfamily Firms. Family Business Review, 31(4), 441–459. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894486518784475
Hsueh, J. W.-J., De Massis, A., & Gomez-Mejia, L. (2023). Examining Heterogeneous Configurations of Socioemotional Wealth in Family Firms Through the Formalization of Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy. Family Business Review, 36(2), 172–198. https://doi.org/10.1177/08944865221146350
Kárpáti, Z., Ferincz, A., & Felsmann, B. (2024). Relationship between different resource and capability configurations and competitiveness – comparative study of Hungarian family and nonfamily firms. Journal of Family Business Management, 14(4), 781–801. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFBM-08-2023-0145
Lee, T., & Chu, W. (2017). The relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and firm performance: Influence of family governance. Journal of Family Business Strategy, 8(4), 213–223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfbs.2017.09.002
Magrelli, V., Rovelli, P., Benedetti, C., Überbacher, R., & De Massis, A. (2022). Generations in Family Business: A Multifield Review and Future Research Agenda. Family Business Review, 35(1), 15–44. https://doi.org/10.1177/08944865211069781
Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., … Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. International Journal of Surgery, 88, 105906. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijsu.2021.105906
Rafiki, A., Dana, L.-P., & Ong Hai Liaw, J. (2026). Entrepreneurial behavior in family business: Bibliometric – systematic literature reviews (B-SLR). Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy, 20(1), 249–276. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEC-12-2023-0233
Rahman, R. O., Hadi, A. S., & Sari, N. P. (2025). Business Development Strategy for Graphic Design Services: A Case Study of Giyuu Creative Studio. In APSKI International Conference on Association of Indonesian Entrepreneurship Study Programs (pp. 297-303).
Razzak, M. R., & Jassem, S. (2019). Socioemotional wealth and performance in private family firms: The mediation effect of family commitment. Journal of Family Business Management, 9(4), 468–496. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFBM-05-2019-0035
Rondi, E., De Massis, A., & Kotlar, J. (2019). Unlocking innovation potential: A typology of family business innovation postures and the critical role of the family system. Journal of Family Business Strategy, 10(4), 100236. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfbs.2017.12.001
Rovelli, P., Ferasso, M., De Massis, A., & Kraus, S. (2022). Thirty years of research in family business journals: Status quo and future directions. Journal of Family Business Strategy, 13(3), 100422. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfbs.2021.100422
Salem, L., & Hashem, A.-E. (2023). Socioemotional Wealth in Family Firms: Theoretical Dimensions, Socioemotional Wealth Perspective, and Empirical Evidence in Support of the Socioemotional Approach. The Academic Journal of Contemporary Commercial Research, 3(3), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.21608/ajccr.2023.318181
Yan, L., & Zhiping, W. (2023). Mapping the Literature on Academic Publishing: A Bibliometric Analysis on WOS. Sage Open, 13(1), 21582440231158562. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440231158562
Zapata-Cantu, L., Sanguino, R., Barroso, A., & Nicola-Gavrilă, L. (2023). Family Business Adapting a New Digital-Based Economy: Opportunities and Challenges for Future Research. Journal of the Knowledge Economy, 14(1), 408–425. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13132-021-00871-1
PHINISI Journal is published by: