The role of temporal orientations and intergenerational tensions in multigenerational family firms

Intergenerational tensions play a crucial role in driving the transition from senior to junior generation in family firms; however, little attention has been devoted to understanding how different generations interact with each other and cope with these tensions at work. Through an ethnographic case study of a consultancy firm of family firms, we explore intergenerational tensions and uncover an intermediation process intended to drive generations toward each other’s temporal orientation. Our investigation offers theoretical depth and specification to this line of inquiry by revealing why the layering of structural, cultural, and emotional factors makes generational transitions in family firms complex and difficult to plan. Moving beyond the linear time of the lifecycle approach used by mainstream family business research, our theoretical insights provide a novel framework grounded in organization studies on boundary work and in sociological studies on generations to understand the positive role of intergenerational tensions in family firms.