ABSTRACTS

Andolfi, M. Redefinition in family therapy. American Journal of Family Therapy ,
Clance, P. R. & Imes, S. A. The imposter phenomenon in high achieving women: dynamics and therapeutic intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice ,
Feinstein, A. D. Personal mythology as a paradigm for a holistic public psychology. American Journal of Orthapsychiatry ,
Hatfield, A. B. The family as partner in the treatment of mental illness. Hospital and Community Psychiatry ,
McGuire, J. M. & Borowy, T. D. Attitudes toward mental health professionals. Professional Psychology ,
Olson, D. H., Sprenkle, D. H. & Russell, C. S. Circumplex model of marital and family systems: I. Cohesion and adaptability dimensions, family types, and clinical applications. Family Process ,
Perr, M. Social and cultural influences on the doctor's family. American Journal of Psychoanalysis ,
Russell, C. S. Circumplex model of marital and family systems: III. Empirical evaluation with families. Family Process ,     

FACES IV and the Circumplex Model: validation study

Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES) IV was developed to tap the full continuum of the cohesion and flexibility dimensions from the Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Systems. Six scales were developed, with two balanced scales and four unbalanced scales designed to tap low and high cohesion (disengaged and enmeshed) and flexibility (rigid and chaotic). The six scales in FACES IV were found to be reliable and valid. High levels of concurrent, construct, and discriminant validity were found and new ratio scores measure the balanced and unbalanced level of cohesion and flexibility. A clinical example on the use of FACES IV scores to assess family dynamics, plan the treatment, and determine the impact of family therapy is provided.     

A test of the Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Systems using the Clinical Rating Scale

Most studies of the Olson Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Systems have utilized a version of the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales (FACES). Because FACES does not appear to operationalize the curvilinear dimension of the Circumplex Model, researchers have been pessimistic about the model's validity. However, the Clinical Rating Scale (CRS) has received some support as a curvilinear measure of the Circumplex Model. Therefore, we used the CRS rather than FACES to test the validity of the Circumplex Model hypotheses. Using a structural equation-modeling analytical approach, we found support for the hypotheses pertaining to the effects of cohesion and communication on family functioning. However, we found no support for the hypotheses pertaining to the concept of adaptability. We discuss these results in the context of previous studies of the Circumplex Model using FACES. Based on the collective findings, we propose a preliminary reformulation of the Circumplex Model.     

The Use of Owner Resources in Small and Family Owned Businesses: Literature Review and Future Research Directions

This paper integrates relevant literature and the Sustainable Family Business Model regarding interchange of financial resources between family and business. Two distinct literatures on the use of owner resources in small businesses are examined: the intermingling of business and household resources from the family firm literature and financial bootstrapping studies from the small business finance literature. What has not been addressed in both literatures about the use of owner resources is discussed and the risks that owner resource bootstrapping and intermingling may place on the household and the business are considered. Recommendations and propositions for future research are suggested. To fully understand the makeup and success of household financial portfolios and family businesses, it is important to understand the use of owner resources in a holistic manner.     

Social network and family business: Uncovering hybrid family firms

What does it mean for a private enterprise in China to be embedded in a family? Our purpose here is twofold: (1) use social network analysis to describe what it means for a firm to be embedded in a family, (2) reveal from the application a new kind of firm, not family, yet akin to family. Armed with data on a large probability sample of private enterprises — a third of which meet ownership and employment criteria of being family businesses — we uncover a category of “hybrid family firms” that look modern in the style of firms that exclude family, but operate socially in ways similar to family firms. Our conclusion from summary statistics on the sample is that there are no differences in average performance level or network advantage for the three categories of businesses: family firms, hybrid family firms, and family-excluded firms. The fact that CEOs of family firms and hybrid family firms more often turn to family as key business contacts is a fact about network composition that raises no question about network mechanisms. Whether the CEO turns to more or fewer family contacts, government help is more likely with stronger political connections, and business success and survival are more likely with a large, open network. That said, the look-modern, act-traditional hybrid family firms stand alone in prospering with a CEO embedded in a closed business network. Recognition of hybrid family firms adds to the literature’s illustrations of social network analysis used to distinguish types of businesses and business people, and extends the population of organizations within which governance and strategy are likely to be better understood when viewed through a family logic.     

The Role of Values and Unity in Family Businesses

This study tests the application of an ecosystems perspective on family businesses. Specific focuses are given to values, resources and unity within family businesses. Two separate samples are examined, the American Family Business Survey and a multilevel sample. Results from this study support the ecosystems perspective. Family businesses are shown to vary by their value for family growth in comparison to business growth. This value variation across family businesses was shown to predict internal goals and resource transfers within family businesses. This study also shows the benefit to family businesses in unifying values across individuals, as unity of values is a stronger predictor of satisfaction even when controlling for the family business’ tendency to privilege the family or business growth.     

Work Roles, Management and Perceived Well-being for Married Women within Family Businesses

The study uses the National Family Business Survey and is grounded in the systemic Sustainable Family Business Model. It investigated the relationship between management activity of married women within family businesses and perceived well-being controlling for work roles, family context, personal and financial resources. Statistical analyses indicated that successfully achieving the most important family goal was positively related to management activity. Low-income women performed more management than did those with other income levels. Successfully achieving family goals, having lower education, less competition between family and business resources, no family cash flow problems, and higher management activity contributed to positive perceived well-being. Well-being increased at a decreasing rate as income increased.This study reports results from the Cooperative Regional Research Project, NE-167R, ‘Family Businesses: Interaction in Work and Family Spheres,’ partially supported by the Cooperative States Research, Education and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Experiment Stations at University of Hawaii at Manoa, University of Illinois, Purdue University (Indiana), Iowa State University, Michigan State University, University of Minnesota, Montana State University, University of Nebraska, Cornell University (New York), North Dakota State University, The Ohio State University, The Pennsylvania State University, Texas A & M University, Utah State University, The University of Vermont, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (for The University of Manitoba).     

An Auditor's Perspective of Executive Incentive Pay and Dividend Payouts in Family Firms

Journal of Family and Economic Issues - In family firms, where the family and the business domains are intertwined, conflicts from one domain can spill over to the other. Agency conflicts in the...     

Women in Business-owning Families: a Comparison of Roles,Responsibilities and Predictors of Family Functionality

The purpose of this study is to compare groups of women associated with family businesses and ascertain predictors of functionality. The sample consisted of 589 women divided into five groups based on their roles in the business. Of interest were various combinations of work at home, in the family business, and outside the business and how multiple roles affect the family. The women varied on several characteristics with female business managers less likely to be married than other women and generally operating smaller businesses. The women were not significantly different on levels of family functioning. Family goal success, satisfaction with business role, and being married were positive significant predictors of family functionality. Higher levels of household tension were negatively associated with family functionality. Family therapists and family business consultants must be cognizant of the multiple role responsibilities of women associated with a family firm.     

Goal Orientation and Performance of Family Businesses

Family businesses consist of family members pooling their resources together to achieve a particular goal for the family business. The objectives of this study were to profile the characteristics of the family businesses and business owners by owners’ goal orientation and to examine the influence of goal orientation on family business performance. The mean differences in values of business size, business age, and business liabilities were statistically significant by owners’ goal orientation. The major findings of this study suggest that owner goal orientation had a statistically significant effect on business performance. Specifically, setting a business goal such as growth or a positive reputation with customers had a significant and positive impact on family business performance.     

Family systems functioning,family health roles,and utilization of physical health services

The purpose of the study reported here is to determine the relationship between family systems functioning, family health role, and family utilization of health services. The research is based in the Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Systems (Olson, Sprenkle, & Russel, 1979). Family functioning variables include family level of cohesion, family adaptability, and family type, as measured by FACES II. Family health role (i.e., leadership role and acceptance of sick role) and utilization of health services are measured by scales of the investigator-developed Family Health Questionnaire. The sample consists of 140 parents of 70 families, composed of two parents with children under 25 years of age living at home. Analysis reveals significant relationships between the family level of adaptability and acceptance of the sick role, in conjunction with significant gender and gender interaction effects. There are no significant differences between family cohesion levels or family typologies with the health variables.Su An Arnn Phipps is an Assistant Professor at the University of Oklahoma College of Nursing Graduate Program, Tulsa, 700 N. Greenwood, Tulsa, OK 74106. Her research interests include family systems functioning and family physical health, couples' infertility experience, and fathers' role(s) in family health. She received her Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University in Family Relations and Child Development.     

Gender Differences in Perceived Business Success and Profit Growth Among Family Business Managers

Using data from the 1997–2000 National Family Business Surveys (NFBS), this study investigated the effect of gender on business success and profit growth among family businesses. The Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) results indicate that all else being equal, female managers perceived their businesses as more successful than male managers, and they reported more profit growth between 1996 and 1999 than male managers. The results of the dummy variable interaction approach also show that a differential response existed in profit growth over time between female and male managers in relation to health status, business liabilities, business size, and whether the business was home-based. This study concludes that there are many distinct differences between male and female managers in business performance.     

Boundaries and the Functioning of Family and Business Systems

The purposes of the present study were to: (1) examine connections between performance success and the boundaries between families and the businesses they own and (2) explore whether boundary-performance links were mediated by satisfaction. Tests of the mediation hypothesis revealed that family satisfaction partially mediated connections between boundaries and family functioning. Business satisfaction fully mediated connections between boundary characteristics and business strengths, but did not mediate the relationship between boundary characteristics and cash flow problems. Although previous literature suggests that permeable boundaries (i.e. enmeshment) are especially problematic for family firms, this appears to be only partially true.     

PROBLEM FAMILIES AND THE CIRCUMPLEX MODEL: OBSERVATIONAL ASSESSMENT USING THE CLINICAL RATING SCALE (CRS)

The validity, reliability, and curvilinearity of the Clinical Rating Scale (CRS) from the Circumplex Model were evaluated and the ability of the scale to discriminate between proble/clinical families and nonclinical families was tested on family cohesion, family adaptability, and family communication. Two groups of problem families were compared with two control groups. The study tested the main curvilinear hypothesis of the Circumplex Model that nonclinical families will have more Balanced system types than problem/clinical families. Conversely, problem/clinical families will have more Extreme system types than nonclinical families. Using the CRS, this hypothesis was strongly supported. Family satisfaction was used as a measure to investigate group differences further. As hypothesized, the two control groups had high levels of satisfaction, and the two problem family groups had significantly lower levels of family satisfaction. Overall, the CRS discriminated well between problem families who had more Extreme types on cohesion and adaptability and lower on communication and satisfaction than control families. Investigating different family structures (single-parent, blended, and traditional two-parent families) confirmed these findings. The study provided strong support for the curvilinear hypothesis that problem families are more frequently Extreme on both ends of the family cohesion and adaptability dimensions. It also revealed that the CRS has excellent validity and reliability.     

The Differences in Financial Structure Between Women- and Men-Owned Family Businesses

Lenders often are faced with the challenge of evaluating the financial success of a business or a proposed business by examining the financial records of the household, reasoning that an assessment of the household's financial position should be a plausible indicator of the financial status of the business. Utilizing data from the recently released Family Business Survey, this study uses financial information about both the family and the business to examine the relationship between household financial indicators and business financial indicators for women- and men-owned family businesses. The results suggest that, while household financial statements may be good indicators for men-owned businesses, they appear to be much less reliable for women-owned businesses.     

Abstracts

Ansell, C. Counter-transference: A story. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice
Gurman, A. S. Behavioral marriage therapy in the 1980s: The challenge of integration. American Journal of Family Therapy
Madanes, C, Dukes, J. & Harbin, H. Family ties of heroin addicts. Archives of General Psychiatry
Rausch, V. Cholecystectomy with self-hypnosis. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis
Saposnek, D. T. Aikido: A model for brief strategic therapy. Family Process
Wells, R. A. Engagement techniques in famiy therapy. International Journal of Family Therapy
Goolishian, H. A. & Anderson, H. K. Discussions: Engagement techniques in family therapy. I. International Journal of Family Therapy
Epstein, N. B. Discussions: Engagement techniques in family therapy. II. International Journal of Family Therapy
Zuger, B. Homosexuality and parental guilt. British Journal of Psychiatry     

Technology Adoption in Small Family-Owned Businesses: Accessibility,Perceived Advantage,and Information Technology Literacy

The purpose of the study was to examine the antecedents and impacts of information technology (IT) adoption by small family-owned businesses, using data from the National Family Business Survey. This research tested a model based on the Diffusion of Innovations framework and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Family business managers’ prior knowledge and level of IT use, business location, and community size/type were important antecedents to the decision to adopt IT. Ease of use and decision to adopt IT accounted for over 60% of the variance in usefulness of IT and implementation of internet and IT capabilities. The implementation of IT capabilities accounted for nearly 40% of the variance in actual use of IT and perceived impact of the internet.     

Abstracts

Gerson, M. J. & Barsky, M. For the new family therapist: A glossary of terms. American Journal of Family Therapy .
Gunderson, J. G., Kerr, J. & Englund, D. W. The families of borderlines. Archives of General Psychiatry .
Mandelbaum, A. Family characteristics of patients with borderline and narcissistic disorders. Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic .
Liddle, H. H. On teaching a contextual or systemic therapy: Training content, goals and methods. American Journal of Family Therapy .
Pope, K. S., Schover, L. R. & Levenson, H. Sexual behavior between clinical supervisors and trainees: Implications for professional standards. Professional Psychology .
Robinson, B. & Thurnher, M. Taking care of aged parents: A family cycle transition. The Gerontologist .
Watzlawick, P. & Coyne, J. C. Depression following stroke: Brief, problem-focused family treatment. Family Process .     

Small Business Success Among Men- and Women-Owned Firms in Rural Areas1

Abstract Rural women have difficulty finding good jobs. Ownership of small businesses offers an alternative but the sales and income of women-owned firms are significantly lower than those of men-owned firms. Compared with men, women owners are more likely to operate smaller and newer businesses; however, these differences do not completely account for the gap in gross sales between men- and women-owned businesses. The strongest influences on business success are firm size, corporate status, and industrial sector. Though significant, the owner's gender is less important than these organizational characteristics. The factors influencing success of small businesses generally are the same for men- and women-owned businesses. More research on business networks and the start-up phase of small businesses is necessary for a better understanding of the sources of gender differences in success.     

Managing Work and Family: The Decision to Outsource Child Care in Families Engaged in Family-Owned Businesses

This study investigates the decision to outsource child care among families involved in family-owned businesses. A management framework is used to examine the impact of inputs to the decision (i.e., goals and resources) and level of management activity (i.e., planning and implementing) in these families as predictors of the choice to outsource child care. The data are a sub-sample of the data from a project entitled, Family Businesses: Interaction in Work and Family Spheres (Winter, Fitzgerald, Heck, Haynes, & Danes, 1998) undertaken in 1997. Study findings indicate that household managers who work in the family business are less likely to outsource child care compared to those who work outside the family business. More educated household managers purchased more, and managers in larger families fewer hours of child care. Female household managers purchased significantly fewer hours of child care compared to their male counterparts.