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Entrepreneuring and family firms cofounders' familiness at work through rhetoric appeals

Anderson A, Clipa AM, Fritzsche A, Clipa CI, Agheorghiesei DT (2023)

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Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2023

Journal

Original Authors: Alistair Anderson, Anca Maria Clipa, Albrecht Fritzsche, Catalin Ioan Clipa, Daniela Tatiana Agheorghiesei

DOI: 10.1108/IJEBR-04-2021-0271

Abstract

Purpose

This research objective was to explore how Romanian IT family businesses' co-founders enable entrepreneuring through familiness practices. The authors explored what familiness practices emerge and how these are facilitated and supported by the rhetoric framework.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on Romanian IT entrepreneurs' practice from five case studies of IT family businesses and purposive revelatory cases, the authors considered the family co-founders' narratives and representations of familiness presented in 31 interviews.

Findings

The respondents' communication in entrepreneuring is a joint collaborative effort of the family co-founders to function well. Family entrepreneurs generate positive perceptions in favour of enterprising families using persuasive communication via rhetoric appeals to familiness ethos, familiness logos and familiness pathos, leading to constructive conflict management. The rhetoric of persuasion supports family entrepreneuring.

Research limitations/implications

The authors conducted multiple case studies, profiling technological co-founders and family entrepreneurs in the challenging circumstances of an emerging economy.

Practical implications

The analysis of the use of rhetoric contributes to a better understanding of familiness practices in the family business. Through appeals to ethos, family business entrepreneurs enforce family values built on shared history, complementarity and moral exemplarity. The appeals to logos in entrepreneuring involve fulfilling complementary roles, alignment and continuous learning and coaching. The appeals to pathos are about emotions and how the family entrepreneurs' discourse enforces constructive handling of emotions.

Social implications

The perceived familiness communicated through appeals to ethos, logos and pathos contributes to legitimating the family firm structures.

Originality/value

Theorising from family entrepreneurs' familiness practices, the authors suggest that entrepreneuring requires good communication of the representation of familiness for co-founders, employees and other stakeholders to also serve constructive conflict handling. The perceived familiness communicated through appeals to ethos, logos and pathos helps family businesses leverage their unique strengths and resources in the entrepreneuring process.

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How to cite

APA:

Anderson, A., Clipa, A.M., Fritzsche, A., Clipa, C.I., & Agheorghiesei, D.T. (2023). Entrepreneuring and family firms cofounders' familiness at work through rhetoric appeals. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour and Research. https://dx.doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-04-2021-0271

MLA:

Anderson, Alistair, et al. "Entrepreneuring and family firms cofounders' familiness at work through rhetoric appeals." International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour and Research (2023).

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