The Family in Family Business: Case of the In-Laws in Philippine Businesses

Andrea L. Santiago, De La Salle University,  published “The Family in Family Business: Case of the In-Laws in Philippine Businesses” on September 2nd, 2011 in OnlineFirst of Family Business Review. To view other articles posted in the OnlineFirst section of Family Business Review, please click here.

The Abstract:

Research abounds on the nuances of family business, many comparing management, leadership, and performance of these businesses against those that are not influenced by family involvement. Although comparative studies eventually led to the development of family business definitions, the treatment of in-laws has been surreptitiously left out. In the family business, are in-laws family members, nonfamily members, or perennially in limbo? This article presents that the in-law position, at least in the Philippine setting, is precarious, necessitating a unique circle in Tagiuri and Davis’s three-circle model. The standards of treatment and the measurement of performance depend on which position the in-law occupies in that model. Knowing exactly where everyone fits into the model creates a better understanding of how one should behave for optimal family business experience.

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