Purpose

Possible asymmetric treatment among family members has long been neglected in the field of family firm research. To fill this gap, the purpose of this study is to shed light on the heterogeneity of treatment of family members in family firms by proposing factors that influence the likelihood of bifurcation bias among “family” members.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing upon social identity theory and the concept of bifurcation bias, the authors theorize that family members working in family firms are not a homogenous entity, but rather a heterogeneous entity contingent on their status and/or position in the family. To provide a comprehensive understanding of heterogeneous treatment among family members, both individual factors and societal factors should be considered.

Findings

Blood relatedness of family members is suggested as an important determinant of the likelihood of bifurcation bias among family members. It is also proposed that the impact of blood relatedness is likely influenced by both individual factors (familial proximity and familial tenure) and a societal factor (collectivism).

Originality/value

Theorizing takes a step forward to advance the understanding of interpersonal dynamics in family firms. In particular, this article expands the research boundaries of family business research by taking into account that not all “family” members are treated preferentially. Moreover, this article deepens our understanding of the nature and status of non-blood related family members by unveiling the influence of both individual and societal factors. This article also provides a theoretical foundation for human resource management (HRM) research in family businesses by addressing bifurcation bias among family members.

中文翻译：

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与血缘无关的“家庭”成员是否受到不同待遇？家族企业中家族成员分叉偏差的决定因素

目的

家族企业研究领域长期以来一直忽视家族成员之间可能存在的不对称待遇。为了填补这一空白，本研究的目的是通过提出影响“家族”成员之间分叉偏差可能性的因素来阐明家族企业中家族成员待遇的异质性。

设计/方法/方法

借鉴社会认同理论和分叉偏见的概念，作者认为在家族企业工作的家族成员不是同质实体，而是取决于他们在家族中的地位和/或地位的异质实体。为了全面了解家庭成员之间的异质性治疗，应同时考虑个人因素和社会因素。

发现

家庭成员的血缘关系被认为是家庭成员之间分叉偏见可能性的重要决定因素。也有人提出，血缘关系的影响可能受个人因素（家庭亲近和家庭保有权）和社会因素（集体主义）的影响。

原创性/价值

理论化向前迈进了一步，以促进对家族企业中人际动态的理解。尤其是，本文扩展了家族企业研究的研究边界，考虑到并非所有“家族”成员都受到优待。此外，本文通过揭示个人和社会因素的影响，加深了我们对非血缘家庭成员的性质和地位的理解。本文还通过解决家族成员之间的分歧偏见，为家族企业的人力资源管理（HRM）研究提供了理论基础。