This is an excellent book that provides a much needed overview of theoretical frameworks that help us understand the behavior of family firms. This book will be invaluable as a resource to doctoral students and researchers who are trying to analyze decision making in family firms and the factors that shape management processes in these organizations. The book is very comprehensive in its coverage, addressing most major theoretical frameworks that have recently been applied to examine phenomena unique to family firms. These include, among others, organizational ecology, behavioral theory, agency theory, behavioral agency theory, and social identity theory. This book is a must read for family business scholars.' - Luis Gomez-Mejia, University of Notre Dame, US'A common criticism of family business as a field of study is the lack of well-developed, theoretically grounded research. This important book edited by Nordqvist, Melin, Waldkirch and Kumeto promises to change this widely held view. The book brings into focus important theoretical perspectives that have rich implications for research on family firms. Well established and emerging perspectives are covered in the book, highlighting different debates that are likely to shape future scholarship in the field. Chapters are easy to read and concepts as well as theories are clearly explained and their usefulness is made evident. I compliment the editors on a job well done in recognizing the challenges of theorizing about family business and mapping out the territory of tomorrow's research.' - Shaker A. Zahra, University of Minnesota, US Family business has become an increasingly studied field over the last decade and forms one of the fastest growing research areas today. The uniqueness of family business is the interaction between two systems: the family and the firm, leading to specific characteristics that we rarely see in other types of businesses. In order to understand the unique interaction between these two systems, researchers have adopted a diverse range of theories drawn from different fields. The contributors to this volume provide a thorough discussion of 13 theoretical perspectives that have been used in family business research. Each chapter introduces a theory, demonstrates its previous application in family business research and offers compelling ideas for future research that could contribute to both the family business field and the original theory behind it. This book aims to spark new insights for researchers and PhD students in the field of family business, and is also a good introduction for researchers who are new to the field. Policymakers and practitioners will find this an enlightening resource. Contributors: R. Adiguna, N. Akhter, G. Criaco, P. Hansson, A. Kallmuenzer, A. Kuiken, G. Kumeto, A. Mazzelli, L. Melin, H. Nilson, M. Nordqvist, E. Rondi, K. Staffansson Pauli, M. Waldkirch, A. Wielsma

Research in strategy has shifted significantly towards strategy as something organizations have, rather than strategy as something that managers do. The activities of the people who actually manage and develop organizational strategy have become marginalized. Strategy as Practice argues the reverse: that research on strategy needs to take seriously what strategists do and the effects of what they do. Written by a distinguished team of researchers and educators, this book sets out a research agenda, provides guidelines on theoretical perspectives and alternative methodologies for research on practice as well as commentaries on published illustrative papers that exemplify the practice perspective. Strategy as Practice will be essential reading for doctoral students, researchers and academics who wish to understand or undertake research in this important field of management research.

Research in strategy has shifted significantly towards strategy as something organizations have, rather than strategy as something that managers do. The activities of the people who actually manage and develop organizational strategy have become marginalized. Strategy as Practice argues the reverse: that research on strategy needs to take seriously what strategists do and the effects of what they do. Written by a distinguished team of researchers and educators, this book sets out a research agenda, provides guidelines on theoretical perspectives and alternative methodologies for research on practice as well as commentaries on published illustrative papers that exemplify the practice perspective. Strategy as Practice will be essential reading for doctoral students, researchers and academics who wish to understand or undertake research in this important field of management research.

This book presents novel theoretical ideas and empirical findings where the fields of strategizing and organizing meet. At this boundary lie many of the most crucial theoretical and practical issues for management and managing.

Innovative Forms of Organizing, the eagerly awaited sequel to The Innovating Organization (SAGE, 2000), draws upon the comprehensive data sets of the INFORM programme of research, to examine the development of innovative forms of organizing and company performance in organizations across Europe, Japan and the United States.

Innovative Forms of Organizing establishes and develops three strong themes: organizing and strategizing; complementarities, change and performance; and the management of dualities in the modern corporation. The book then discusses the implications of its presented ideas for strategizing//organizing in the 21st century firm and the challenges for management researchers of conducting large scale, international comparative research. Innovative Forms of Organizing thereby illustrates 21st Century management research in 21st Century organizations across Europe, Japan and the USA.

This seminal international study will be a classic in the field for years to come for scholars and policy makers in academia, business and government who are interested in strategy, organization and international management.