DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT AND INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

Owen G Glenn Building 12 Grafton Road Auckland, New Zealand Telephone 64 9 373 7599 Facsimile 64 9 373 7477 The University of Auckland Private Bag 92019 Auckland, New Zealand

PhD Research Proposal

Entrepreneurial Succession: Intergenerational Entrepreneurship in Family Business

Paul J. Woodfield, PhD Candidate The University of Auckland Business School 12 Grafton Road Auckland New Zealand Ph: +6421809894 Email: p.woodfield@auckland.ac.nz

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CONTENTS
RESEARCH AIMS AND OBJECTIVES .......................................................... 3 LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................... 4
Background ............................................................................................................................................. 4 Rationale ................................................................................................................................................. 5 Questions ................................................................................................................................................. 8

METHOD ......................................................................................................... 9
Philosophical Context Domain ............................................................................................................ 11 Methodical Content Domain................................................................................................................ 13 Methodical Clusters (Research Strategy)........................................................................................... 13 Data Collection Techniques ............................................................................................................... 17 Data Analysis Techniques ................................................................................................................. 20 Research Contribution ......................................................................................................................... 21

ETHICAL REQUIREMENTS ......................................................................... 22 TIMELINE ...................................................................................................... 23 REFERENCES .............................................................................................. 24

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RESEARCH AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The aim of the proposed research is to examine how family businesses ensure that entrepreneurial activity continues across generations. The intergenerational transfer of the vision and purpose of a family business and the extent this translates into entrepreneurship in subsequent generations will be critically examined.

Figure 1 will guide the research in terms of the overlapping constructs and the nexus culminated in the intersection of entrepreneurship, family business, and succession.

Family Business (2)

E/FB overlap (4)

FB/S overlap (5) E/FB/S nexus (7)

Entrepreneurship (1)

Succession (3)

E/S overlap (6)

Figure 1: Family business, entrepreneurship and succession nexus (Woodfield, 2008)

In each of the primary areas of interest (entrepreneurship, family business, and succession), there is relatively extensive literature. The overlaps, however, are disproportionate. The entrepreneurship/family business overlap (4) and the family business/succession overlap (5) have been gaining ground in the literature, but the

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entrepreneurship/succession overlap (6) is not spoken for to any large extent, and the entrepreneurship/family business/succession nexus (7) is representative of significant literature in the primary areas of interest, but the combination is virgin. The literature review will provide more background to these constructs and overlaps.

LITERATURE REVIEW
The review will be in three parts. First, a brief background of family business research, second, some rationale to the gaps being investigated, third, questions that will be explored.

Background
The accepted influences of entrepreneurial businesses involve the initiative of an individual(s) or a family that have a common goal and usually possess similar values. In the case of a family business the literature indicates that values are inherently similar and can be less of a stumbling block than building a team out of individuals with different ideals. However, the influence of the founder or pioneer may determine how much they will allow outsiders to be involved in the business (Kets de Vries, 1993), while Westhead and Cowling (1998) state that family businesses can become retarded if the familys management is reluctant to raise external funds because it fears it will result in a loss of family control.

Although there are many positives in having a family business, there is evidence of threats to the model. Lansberg (1999) identifies a common theme to be dreams not being

congruent between spouses, siblings and other family members. This can lead to intense feelings that can bubble to the surface and present as resentment, bickering and deep

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regrets. Ownership statistics of family businesses from generation to generation also identifies threats. The following table gives examples of reports that suggest there is a decline in family involvement from generation to generation. This poor scorecard for family businesses is a concern, and in essence disappointing given that the main threat to the business may be the family members.

Table 1: Family involvement

Source Smyrnios & Dana (2007) Finding 70% of businesses surveyed are family businesses with the larger proportion being first generation (57%), subsequently halving in the second generation (30%) and halving again to the third generation (13%). Approximately one-third of post-start-up family businesses survive and reach the second generation of ownership; 12% will still be viable into the third generation, with 3% of all family businesses operating at the fourth-generation level and beyond About 3 out of 10 family businesses make it past the first generation and only 1 in 10 make it through the third generation.

Ward, 1987, as cited in Astrachan & Shanker (2003, p.216)

Kets de Vries (1993)

Rationale
The research will explore the body of emerging family research and extrapolate findings in succession research. Several articles have identified issues that arise when a business is transferred from a family business founder to the next generation. Brockhaus (1994) clarified the need for further research into succession issues, particularly entrepreneurial succession, and the strategic planning and management of the process. Entrepreneurial succession has been interpreted as the continuation of innovation and entrepreneurial behaviour from one generation to the next (Woodfield, 2007b). This can be manifested in a founder translating their vision through the succession process to the next generation, with

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respect to the successors own vision for the future of the business. Brockhaus was echoed by Hoy & Verser (1994, p.19) who further emphasised the need for further research into the transfer of the founders vision to other family members. These insights were reflected upon by Fletcher (2004, p.36) who observed that the relationship, intercept or overlap of entrepreneurial and family domains in the context of small and/or family businesses is an important, yet underdeveloped, area of research.

Davis (1968) can be credited as being the first to bring into light entrepreneurial succession. Davis takes the entrepreneur as an important person who not only has an ability to take risks and innovate, but sees that the newly formed organization is operating successfully where the management function can be transmitted to others. It is no wonder Davis honed in on family businesses to study the problem of entrepreneurial succession as he viewed the extended family as the most basic and stable unit of social organization in traditional society. It is this combination of family business, entrepreneurship and succession that brings us to the nexus of this study

The intersection between entrepreneurship and family business becomes interesting when viewed in the context of a succession process. One of the many challenges of any business is recreating its competitive advantage to overcome retardation or demise. One of the key concerns for family businesses is to retain the entrepreneurial spirit across generations. Entrepreneurship and vision become synonymous based on the creative and imaginative aspects of each. According to Schwass (2005), the grooming of next generation leaders needs to be adopted as both a mindset and an objective that is implemented over time. The rationale is that families grow over time increasing the number of stakeholders/owners and changing market conditions require continual adaptation and renewal. The business vision

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needs to be developed and implemented and potentially altogether changed by successive generations to provide growth and give a sense of ownership to the business (Schwass, 2005).

The next generation leaders need to be seen and recognized as entrepreneurs, in their own right, and as a really powerful engine for business growth in the family business. (Schwass, 2005, p.30)

Schwass (2005) broke down the family business into three archetypes. First, the ephemeral family business is a single-generation business of a business that fails early in the second generation. An example would be a business that is centred on the entrepreneur and lacks a transition from an individualistic business to a collective family business - in other words, a business that lacks sustainable, value-based vision. Second, there is the preserving family business which lasts several generations but suffers from retarded, or indeed no growth. There are many examples of this phenomenon in farms and vineyards. Third, and most relevant to this research, is the entrepreneurial family business. Unlike the aforementioned family businesses, the entrepreneurial family business has more complexity due to an underlying vision that family members benefit from keeping the business together. Schwass describes the entrepreneurial family business archetype as [an] answer to those critics who see no future for family businesses.

Entrepreneurship literature tends to focus on business start-up and neglects the proposition that the entrepreneur inevitably faces retirement and needs to transfer the business to a successor. There is a need in the literature for an understanding of the complex and dynamic nature of an active entrepreneurial family business succession (Woodfield,

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2007a). Equally there is a need to understand the changes in the founder, the family and the business itself over time (Handler, 1994). In summary, family businesses are unique, at times idiosyncratic, and possess unique succession processes. While there is a body of literature on succession issues, as outlined earlier, there is a lack of integration of family business and entrepreneurial endeavour in the research literature. From Davis studies we learn that family businesses have a positive impetus to entrepreneurial activity. Davis does point out, however, that there can be a problem when social function takes over from economic profit, or, putting it differently enterprise stability and perpetuity which can lead to conflict with new economic goals of sustained investment and expansion. Family business research will be strengthened by further analysis and discussion.

Questions
The proposed research will contribute at both the theoretical and empirical levels to the enhanced understanding of the linkages between family businesses and the entrepreneurial activity across generations. The main reason for choosing aspects of family businesses to observe is that a majority of independent businesses are family owned (Westhead & Cowling, 1998). The questions in Table 2 have been raised as a result of notable gaps in the literature relating to family business.

Table 2: Research questions versus form of questioning

Question Are business founders finding a suitable successor(s) from within their family? Have alternative exit strategies taken precedence over maintaining a family legacy? Have family members neglected to capture the founders vision? Is the founders vision and purpose important to next generation successors? How do family businesses ensure entrepreneurial Form of questioning If yes, how and why? If no, how so and why? How? Why? Why? If yes, how and why? If no, why? How?

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activity continues across generations? How does entrepreneurship succeed from one generation to the next? Do the second and third generations have more entrepreneurial vision than the founding generation? Are there potential threats to the current leaders if incumbent generations are more entrepreneurial? How can we learn from the positive experiences of existing family businesses that have gone through the succession process?

How? If yes, how and why? If no, why? If yes, how and why? If no, why? How?

These questions all possess a lean toward a family business succession inquiry. Apart from the final question, the focus of the questions is on vision, purpose and entrepreneurship and the importance of each. The final question emphasises the approach one may take in learning about the succession process. A review of the literature emphasises problems, conflict and issues in family businesses, rarely reviewing the appreciative and positive aspects of family business.

METHOD
The research process, will be framed using the canonical development approach presented by Hindle (2004). This approach is compared with the research process presented by Denzin and Lincoln (2005a), which is well known in qualitative research and provides a good foundation to measure the sustainability of developmental canonical research approaches.

First of all, Figure 2 illustrates Hindles framework for selecting qualitative methods specifically in the entrepreneurship field. In a less diagrammatic way, Denzin and Lincoln (2005a) use phases to define the process of qualitative research. This contrasts with Hindles approach whose framework is broken down into domains. Hindles domains (research question, philosophical context, and methodical content domains) provide a

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framework for discussing the chosen area of research, the relevance of qualitative research, and the chosen research methodology.

Figure 2: A canonical development framework for choosing qualitative research methods (Source: Hindle, 2004)

Table 3 compares the two processes (or frameworks) using Denzin and Lincoln as the control process. In Figure 2 the research question domain is central to the framework or as Hindle (2004, p.590) states has centrality and primacy and is the heart of the matter. When compared, Hindles model fits with the Denzin and Lincoln model only in that the

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research question domain is identified in the first and fifth phases. This is due to the relationship the research question has with established research and new perspectives.

Table 3: Denzin and Lincolns phases versus Hindles domains

Phase 1 Denzin and Lincoln The researcher as a multicultural subject Theoretical paradigms and perspectives Research strategies Hindle The research question domain (the established research canon) The philosophical context domain The methodical content domain (methodical clusters) The methodical content domain (data collection, data analysis techniques) The research question domain (research new perspectives)

2 3

Methods of collection and analysis The art, practices, and politics of interpretation and evaluation

Philosophical Context Domain

Philosophically the research will be interpretivist. A qualitative approach is well suited to family business and entrepreneurship research at a paradigmatic and methodological level. Hindle (2004) suggests that there has been an explosion of qualitative research in the social sciences but demonstrably underrepresented in entrepreneurship research. This sentiment can also be related to family business research. Hindles approach is an answer to the urgent need for a greater use of qualitative methods in entrepreneurship research. The lack of qualitative methods in entrepreneurship research is demonstrated by a review carried out by Low and MacMillan (1988), where they stated that there has been disappointingly slow progress in research that addresses issues of causality, perhaps reflecting the elusiveness of the entrepreneurial phenomenon. Low and MacMillan suggested that the model research and future challenges of entrepreneurship research would be methodology which is theory driven, a priori hypotheses, multiple methods and

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explanatory. Conversely they suggested that methodology in past research has been case studies, cross sectional surveys, single method, descriptive.

Qualitative research emphasises interpretive perspectives where the research is described as being bricoleur, that is, learning how to borrow from different disciplines. Other analogies given to the qualitative researcher are that they are a maker of quilts, a filmmaker or person assembles images into montages (Denzin & Lincoln, 2005b). In contrast, quantitative research holds the positivist worldview of facts, figures and measurements and is objective rather than subjective in approach. It is fair to add that some objectivity may be presumed in qualitative research, although there is a propensity for the researcher to be more involved with the subject, providing a lack of objectivity.

Entrepreneurial succession is a dynamic process and requires an interpretive inquiry to reveal the depth in such a process. As outlined in Figure 1, there are overlapping intersections to be explored that borrow family from other disciplines including and

entrepreneurship/family

business,

business/succession,

entrepreneurship/succession. A major part of the inquiry is the manner in which the research will be conducted. As mentioned earlier, the literature and tradition suggests problems, conflicts and issues in family businesses being researched as opposed to inquiries into what is going well. This has led to the chosen mode of inquiry being an appreciative inquiry. Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is a forward-thinking process for the evaluation of organisations. The assumption is made that every organisation has strengths and areas that work well, and that positive change can be created in an organisation through this form of inquiry (Cooperrider, Whitney, & Stavros, 2003). In the methodical content domain the strategies to be used in the inquiry will be discussed.

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Methodical Content Domain

Methodical Clusters (Research Strategy) The choice of research strategy has been centered on the form of the research question. At this point, the working title Entrepreneurial Succession: Intergenerational Entrepreneurship in Family Business is not in the form of a question. The questions outlined earlier do, however, recognize what is being investigated and provide enough information to identify an applicable strategy. These questions beg answers to the how, why form of questioning. Yin (2003) provides a table of relevant situations for the various research strategies available. There are three prominent strategies that answer how and why questions. They are experiment, history and case study (Table 4).

Table 4: Relevant situations for different research strategies (Source: Yin, 2003, p.5)

However, only two of the strategies are options for qualitative research and require no control of behavioural events - history and case study. The other important factor is that history and case study have differing foci when it comes to contemporary events. It is logical that history does not concentrate on contemporary events. Case studies as a

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research strategy can be in part reflective of historic events while predominantly concentrating on contemporary events. Merriam (1998) suggests that the elements of historical research and case study often merge. Yin (1994, p.8) suggests that each case study relies on many of the same techniques as history, but it adds two sources of evidence not usually included in the historians repertoire: direct observation and systematic interviewing. In summary, the chosen strategies for researching Entrepreneurial Succession: Intergenerational Entrepreneurship in Family Business are both the case study approach and historical approach.

Case Study Eisenhardt (1989, p.534) defined case study as a research strategy that focuses on the dynamics present within a single setting. According to Eisenhardt there are three ways case studies could be used to accomplish the researchers aims - case studies provide description whilst testing and/or generating theory. The proposed research using case studies will provide description and potentially generate specific theory. Objectivity,

however, may be reduced with the researcher having a background in family business and entrepreneurship research and experience. This reflexivity will be clearly outlined to provide an understanding of the researchers personal background, values and beliefs that may influence the research conclusions. Any attempt to build a theory from a clean slate would be tainted by this knowledge and bias. Testing theory is another option, however, it would be difficult to test a theory with the constructs being used. This is mainly because the research that brings family business and entrepreneurship together is relatively immature and lacking. When this is considered with succession and the intergenerational transfer of a business, there is need for further description of this scenario rather than applying a theory which would demonstrate putting a square peg in a round hole.

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There are contrasting views regarding the approach for case study research. There is argument about whether multiple or single case studies are appropriate for creating good theory. On one side, Eisenhardt (1989) took the stance that while there is no ideal number of cases, a number between 4 and 10 usually works well. On the other hand, this is challenged with a critique by Dyer and Wilkins (1991) who had a view that single in-depth case studies can have more validity than multiple case studies. The essential argument is that Eisenhardts method focuses on surface data rather than deeper social dynamics, (Dyer & Wilkins, 1991, p.615). The argument carried on with an answer by Eisenhardt (1991) who conceded some of Dyer and Wilkins critique but equally took resolve in her original stance that multiple case studies provided a good theoretical base for research.

In addition to the number of cases debate, there needs to be a determination of whether the phenomenon being studied is sufficiently bounded. Merriam (1998) suggests that boundedness can be assessed by establishing how finite the data collection would be. Merriam goes on to add that there would need to be a limit to the number of people involved, whether through observation, interview or focus groups. The limitation or boundedness of the proposed research would be confined to the chosen family business.

Another consideration is the industry in which the research will be situated. Family businesses are prevalent in most industries, especially those in the horticultural (including viticulture) and agricultural industries. The current research will concentrate on the wine industry because of its diversity and its natural cross over into so many industries (manufacturing, fabrication, service, distribution).

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In summary, there are some issues surrounding case study research and emphasise the importance of a good research design to validate the data, whether for building theory, testing theory or providing description. For research into Entrepreneurial Succession: Intergenerational Entrepreneurship in Family Business, three case sites will be chosen in the wine industry. The rationale being that good depth can be accomplished with a smaller concentration of cases without relying on one case to provide all of the insights (see Research Design).

Historical In support of the case study strategy, it has been resolved that history plays an important role in supporting the contemporary focus that case studies represent. It is necessary to explore the history of the family and the previous relationships and intergenerational transfers (if any), to crystallize what issues, dilemmas or crisis occurred, and make sense of these.

History was defined by Collingwood (1976) to be an attempt to reconstruct rationality through a narrative based on identified primary documentary sources. Hindle (2004) recognized historical research as providing good illumination and understanding of phenomena within the field of entrepreneurship. Historical research was observed with respect to both the psychological complexities and the circumstantial complexities of the range of time-construed environments (Hindle, 2004). When this is applied to the questions presented, the psychological complexities will be the founders vision and entrepreneurial fervour; alongside the circumstantial complexities as a result of needing to find an appropriate successor(s); in a time-construed environment such as a generation.

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The proposed study will consist of three site case studies from which the researcher gathers qualitative data for interpretation and analysis. The research issues will emerge from the literature and will be interpreted through a sensemaking focus of inquiry (elaborated on under Data Collection Techniques) during observation, interviews and focus groups. There will be continual interaction between the literature and field work.

Data Collection Techniques Case study data can come from a variety of sources. Stake (1995) identified six sources from which qualitative research data are collected for case studies. First, the nature of the case, particularly its activity and functioning, second, its historical background, third, its physical setting, fourth, other contexts, such as economic, political, legal, and aesthetic; fifth, other cases through which the case is recognized; and sixth, those informants through whom the case can be known. In the present study the methods of extracting data from these sources will comprise of in-depth interviews, focus groups and observation. Because the social unit being studied is a family business, it is considered that there is sufficient evidence to assume the study will be sufficiently bounded, as outlined earlier.

An analogy that best encapsulates the richness of qualitative research data collection is the term crystallization. Richardson (1998, p.358) explained that the crystal combines symmetry and substance with the infinite variety of shapes, substances, transmutations, multidimensionalities, and angles of approach. Crystals grow, change, alter, but are not amorphous (lacking definite form). With recognition of this perspective sensemaking will be employed as a perspective or focus of inquiry, as data collection proceeds. Weick (1995a) described sensemaking as a concept as opposed to a theory and identified the

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central questions of a person interested in sensemaking as being how they [people] construct what they [people] construct, why, and with what effects. Sensemaking, is making something sensible (Weick, 1995a, p.16). Table 5 presents some of the characteristics that will assist with the focus of inquiry.

Table 5: Characteristics of ambiguous, Changing Situations (Source: An abbreviated version of McCaskey (1982). The Executive Challenge: Managing change and ambiguity. As cited in Weick (1995a, p.93))
Characteristic Multiple, conflicting interpretations Description and Comments For those data that do exist, players develop multiple, and sometimes conflicting interpretations. The facts and their significance can be read several different ways. Without objective criteria, players rely more on personal and/or professional values to make sense of the situation. The clash of different values often politically and emotionally changes the situation. Players do not have a clearly defined set of activities they are expected to perform. On important issues, the locus of decision making and other responsibilities is vague or in dispute. Who the key decision makers and influence holders are changes as players enter and leave the decision arena. Current research Conflicting interpretations between founder, next generation, and employees. Differing values between founder and successive generations. Family and business roles cross over and can be a source of conflict. During the succession process there will be a shift in influence.

Different value orientations, political/emotional clashes

Roles are vague, responsibilities are unclear Participation in decision-making fluid

Interviews Interviews are an important source of case study information. Yin (2003) identifies two jobs that need to be carried out in the interview process. First, there is a need to follow a line of inquiry in this case an appreciative inquiry, second, ask the actual questions in an unbiased manner serving the needs of the line of inquiry. The questions in the interviews will be open-ended and encourage unsolicited discussion. The strengths of data collection through interviews is that it focuses directly on the case study topic and is insightful, however, the downside is that, unless the questions are well constructed, there could be
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bias, or inaccuracies due to poor recall, or simply the interviewee gives the interviewer what he/she wants to hear (Cohen, Manion, & Morrison, 2001, p.271; Yin, 2003, p.86). Historical data will also be gathered through the interview process, particularly for finding out the founder(s) and business(es) history. The interviews are carried out with key people in the business such as the founder or potential successors. The interviews will make the main contribution to the study.

Focus groups Focus groups are an efficient way of gathering information in a short amount of time because of their synergistic nature and the fact that they capitalize on group dynamics (Kamberelis & Dimitriadis, 2005). The questions proposed in a focus group are important in acquiring feedback about the business being studied and involve those in lower positions in the organisation. The focus groups will provide an objective non-family view of the business and will be used to correlate data provided through the interviews.

Observation Sensemaking, (Weick, 1995b) provides distinctive interpretation, allowing examination and interpretation beyond empirical data, whilst identifying underlying structures and mechanisms. Field notes will be important to capture the essence of what is being observed. This means writing down whatever impressions occur, which is more reactive, as opposed to sifting through what may seem to be important. It can be difficult to know whether what is being observed is useful or not in the future (Eisenhardt, 1989). The strengths of data collection through observation is that it covers events in real time which captures the context of an event, however, the downside is that observation is time consuming and events may proceed differently because it is being observed (Yin, 2003,

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p.86). There will be less emphasis on observation as a strategy, however, it will play a role in the study.

Documentation and archival evidence Documentation can span a long span of time and is useful for obtaining historical data that may not be otherwise accessible through observation or interviews. One weakness of documentation and archival evidence is that there tends to be a bias towards that of the author and access can sometimes be a problem due to privacy reasons. However, documentation such as annual reports will provide secondary data on the growth of the business and its fiscal standing. Archival evidence such as history books and newspaper articles can provide a significant part of the study storyline from the perspective on an outsider.

Data Analysis Techniques Qualitative data analysis follows three steps once the data is gathered. There is data reduction (selecting, focusing, simplifying, abstracting, transforming) data display (organized, compressed), and conclusion drawing/verification (noting irregularities, patterns, explanations, possible configurations, propositions) (Miles & Huberman, 1994). Hindle (2004, p.594) identifies data analysis techniques as methods for analyzing data irrespective of either the methodical cluster within which the technique is applied or the methods used to collect the data. With this in mind, data will follow a process of transcription, coding, analysis and presentation of results.

The process will include collecting data (observation, interviews, etc.) which will be coded (reduced) and then presented as an integrative diagram (organized), drawing out themes

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and concepts (patterns). The relationship between the themes will be identified and collated into a thematic conceptual matrix (Miles & Huberman, 1994, p.131-132). Each data collection method can benefit from content analysis, and either manual or computer assisted codification (for example NVivo).

Research Contribution
The foreseeable contributions of this research are: Academic The overlap of the constructs is demonstrated as an indicitive estimate of how established the overlaps are in the literature (Table 6).

Table 6: Construct establishment in literature

Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship (E) Family business (F) Succession (S) Wine industry (W) 3 2 2 4 3 3 Family business Succession

1 = Less established in literature 5 = More established in literature (Combination EFSW = 1) It is clear that there is a contribution to be made when researching entrepreneurship with family business and succession. The output of this research will be targeting the Family Business Review; Entrepreneurship, Theory and Practice; Journal of Business Venturing; Journal of Small Business Management; Academy of Management Journal. There are some industry related journals such as the International Journal of Wine Business Research that will also be targeted.

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Practical The practical contributions include: Providing a framework for sustainable family business Further research into the area of family businesses and the entrepreneurship and succession overlaps Recommendations into succession and estate planning Understanding the dynamics of an entrepreneurial family business

ETHICAL REQUIREMENTS
Interviews are insightful for the data collection process. However, there is a downside when it comes to researcher bias and inaccuracies due to poor recall. Interviews and focus groups have a similar process of consent, although there is a different dynamic when the process is facilitated. The consent will be formalized through a written agreement identifying the boundaries and extent of the permission to interview people. I would also get consent for audio and/or video recording of participants.

The research into family businesses will be carried out based on four guidelines (Christians, 2005). First, informed consent from subjects who must voluntarily agree to participate based on full and open information; second, a basic moral principle is that deception and misrepresentation are no longer credible means to extract information from participants; third, privacy and confidentiality needs to be respected, however, privacy protection can be meaningless if there is no consensus or unanimity on what is public and private, (Punch, 1994, p.94 as cited in Christians, 2005); fourth, there needs to be an assurance that data is accurate without fabrications, fraudulent materials and omissions. As it stands, these four

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guidelines are just as applicable to observation techniques and the collection of data via documentation and archival evidence. For example, on site observation tends to be more interpretive with no script, and relies on data captured by way of field notes and regular diary notes. This is where accuracy can be an issue especially as real time events are not noted immediately. An example for documentation and archival evidence would be the need to adhere to copyright and issues to do with what is public and what is private. The minutiae of ethical requirements including consent forms, participant information sheets, and schedule of questions will be addressed in the ethics proposal.

TIMELINE
Activity Full proposal Literature review Methodology Data gathering Data analysis Conclusion and implications Introduction Amendments and revisions Total (excl. proposal) Words 7000 20,000 15,000 Duration (Months) 3 Months 6 months 6 months 12 months (overlapping with methodology) 8 months 4 months 2 months 2 months 36 months (3 years)

20,000 15,000 5,000

75,000 (approx. 190 pages)

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REFERENCES

Astrachan, J. H., & Shanker, M. C. (2003). Family businesses' contribution to the U.S. economy: A closer look. Family Business Review, 16(3), 211. Brockhaus, R. H. (1994). Entrepreneurship and family business research: Comparisons, critique, and lessons. Entrepreneurship: Theory & Practice, 19(1), 14. Christians, C. G. (2005). Ethics and politics in qualitative research. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), The Sage handbook of qualitative research (3rd ed., pp. 131-164). Thousand Oaks: Sage. Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2001). Research methods in education (5th ed.). New York: RoutledgeFalmer. Collingwood, R. G. (1976). Essays in the philosophy of essays. Austin: University of Texas Press. Cooperrider, D. L., Whitney, D., & Stavros, J. M. (2003). Appreciative Inquiry Handbook: The first in a series of AI workbooks for leaders of change. Bedford Heights: Lakeshore Publishers. Davis, S. M. (1968). Entrepreneurial succession. Administrative Science Quarterly, 13(3), 15. Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2005a). Introduction. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), The Sage handbook of qualitative research (3rd ed., pp. 1-32). Thousand Oaks: Sage. Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (Eds.). (2005b). The Sage handbook of qualitative research (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage. Dyer, W. G., & Wilkins, A. L. (1991). Better stories, not better constructs, to generate better theory: A rejoiner to Eisenhardt. Academy of Management Review, p. 613, Eisenhardt, K. M. (1989). Building theories from case study research. Academy of Management Review, 14(4), 532-550. Eisenhardt, K. M. (1991). Better stories and better constructs: The case for rigor and comparative logic. Academy of Management Review, 16(3), 620. Fletcher, D. (2004). Organisational (re)emergance and entrepreneurial development in a second-generation family firm. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research, 10(1/2), 34-48. Handler, W. C. (1994). Succession in Family Business: A Review of the Research Family Business Review, 7(2), 25. Hindle, K. (2004). Choosing qualitative methods for entrepreneurial cognition research: A canonical development approach. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 28(6), 575607. Hoy, F., & Verser, T. G. (1994). Emerging business, emerging field: entrepreneurship and the family firm. Entrepreneurship: Theory & Practice, 19(1), 15. Kamberelis, G., & Dimitriadis, G. (2005). The Sage handbook of qualitative research. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), (3rd ed., pp. 887-907). Thousand Oaks: Sage. Kets de Vries, M. F. R. (1993). The dynamics of family controlled firms: The good and the bad news. Organizational Dynamics, 21(3), 59-71. Lansberg, I. (1999). Succeeding Generations: Realizing the dream of families in business. Boston: Harvard. Low, M. B., & MacMillan, I. C. (1988). Entrepreneurship: Past research and future challenges. Journal of Management, 14(2), 139-161.

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