Leadership Styles and Leadership Behaviors in Family Firms: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Family firms are characterized by specific leadership settings that have recently attracted increasing scholarly attention. This study provides a systematic review of the academic literature on leadership in family firms. The systematic search process resulted in 99 relevant articles that were published in 25 different peer-reviewed journals. Based on our review, we contrast and integrate generic leadership styles, originating from the general leadership literature, with family firm-specific leadership behaviors. Moreover, we develop a framework that categorizes the identified literature and outlines specific antecedents as well as outcomes of leadership styles and behaviors in family firms. Finally, we discuss fruitful avenues for future research.