Problematizing socioemotional wealth in family firms: a systems-theoretical reframing
本文运用问题化方法，挑战家族企业研究中社会情感财富（SEW）概念的理论假设一致性，发现其深层理论层面未充分阐述，并基于新系统理论重构SEW的理论基础。
The concept of socioemotional wealth (SEW) seeks to present an \nindependent paradigmatic basis for family-firm research, and in \ndoing so aims to establish a sound basis for the scientific legitimacy \nof family-firm research. Establishing that legitimacy requires scholars \nto demonstrate that SEW is based on coherent assumptions on several \ntheoretical levels. This paper uses the problematization methodology \nto challenge the coherence of the theoretical assumptions \nunderpinning SEW and to advance theory development. The results \nof this problematization show that SEW is built on a theoretical level \nclose to the object of research (in-house assumptions), but that more \ndeeply-rooted theoretical levels (e.g. paradigmatic assumptions) are \nnot sufficiently elaborated. Moreover, the original conceptualization \nis based on a positivist-mechanistic view, which hinders SEW \nreflecting the complex reality of family firms. Based on the results \nof this problematization, new systems theory is applied to reframe \nSEW's theoretical grounding. Thereby the main contribution of the \npaper is a critical reflection on the theoretical underpinnings of SEW \n(in particular root-metaphor and paradigmatic assumptions), serving \nas the basis for advancing a coherent theoretical understanding of \nthis important concept in family business research.