Abstract
Using the Varieties of Capitalism framework, this chapter explores how changes in narratives about family businesses in Dutch Newspapers can be connected to more general changes in the organisation of the Dutch economy. In the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, family firms were predominantly reported on as outdated and unprofessional. From the 1980s onwards, the resilience of family firms in the face of economic downturns was underlined. Today, family firms are depicted as thinking in generations and therefore acting socially responsible and sustainable. This shift in narratives coincided with a transformation of the Dutch economy from a coordinated market economy (CME) during the 1950s and 1960s towards a more liberal market economy (LME) after the 1990s. Although at first glance, the family firm fits best with the characteristics of a CME, contemporaries were nevertheless highly critical of these companies. With the shift towards an LME and its emphasis on individual entrepreneurship and charismatic leadership, family firms with their individual leadership and sometimes colourful figures at the top were well placed to draw positive attention. Concerted lobby efforts by organised family firms and consultants moreover stimulated positive narratives on family businesses from the 1990s onwards.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Global Family Capitalism |
Subtitle of host publication | a Business History Perspective |
Publisher | Taylor and Francis |
Pages | 63-79 |
Number of pages | 17 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9781040271742 |
ISBN (Print) | 9781032478494 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 23 Dec 2024 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2025 selection and editorial matter, Paloma Fernández Pérez; individual chapters, the contributors.