Resilience in flux: how family firms challenge liquid modernity
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7433/s129.2026.04Keywords:
family business, Resilience, liquid modernity, relations, communionshipAbstract
Frame of the research. In an era of liquid modernity, characterized by uncertainty, acceleration, and fragmentation, family businesses must redefine resilience to address evolving challenges. While resilience has been extensively studied, few works explore its transformation under the pressure of liquid modernity.
Purpose of the paper. This study examines how family firms reinterpret resilience, balancing continuity while embracing change.
Methodology. A qualitative multiple-case study approach was adopted, analyzing ten Italian family businesses through 30 semi-structured interviews with senior family members, next-generation leaders, and non-family executives. Secondary sources, including company reports and market analyses, were used for triangulation.
Results. Findings reveal that family firms build resilience through strategic rhythm and communionship, a mechanism based on relational anchoring, strengthening ties, and trust-based decision-making.
Research limitations. The study is limited to Italian family firms, requiring further validation across different cultural and institutional contexts. A longitudinal approach could enhance the understanding of resilience evolution over time.
Managerial implications. The study emphasizes the need for inclusive decision-making, trust-building, and long-term vision as resilience drivers. Family firms’ ability to integrate stability and adaptability offers insights for managing uncertainty in dynamic environments.
Originality of the paper. By introducing communionship and strategic rhythm, the paper shifts resilience theory towards a relational model, providing a novel lens to explore family business responses to liquid modernity.
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