Family firms could unlock more women entrepreneurs

The study suggests that flexible digital working can help women take a greater role in strategic decision-making while maintaining family responsibilities.

Although family businesses are often seen as family-friendly employers, the researchers argue they can face particular challenges in promoting women into leadership positions. Leadership is often passed from one generation to the next through informal family decisions rather than formal recruitment.

Traditional expectations about gender roles, combined with the belief that leaders should always be physically present, can make it harder for women with caring responsibilities to be recognised as future successors.

The researchers say digital workplace tools such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Workspace and cloud-based business systems can shift the focus from physical presence to measurable performance. This can help women demonstrate their leadership while balancing work and family life.

The paper identifies four ways digital workplace innovation could support women into leadership: 

• Building confidence 
• Creating more opportunities to take part in strategic decisions
• Increasing business knowledge 
• Changing perceptions of who is ready to lead

The authors stress that technology alone is not enough. Family businesses also need cultures that value results over physical presence and actively support women into leadership roles.

Dr Ozlem Ozdemir, from the Royal Docks School of Business and Law, said:

Family businesses are built around close relationships, but that does not automatically make them easier places for women to become leaders. Digital workplace tools can help shift the focus from who is seen most often in the office to who is making the strongest contribution."

Co-author Professor Kirk Chang said: 

"Technology such as Microsoft Teams and cloud-based collaboration platforms can create new opportunities for talented women to demonstrate leadership. Lasting change depends on family businesses judging leaders by their performance rather than their physical presence."

The paper, published in Strategy and Leadership, brings together existing research to propose a framework showing how digital workplace innovation could improve work-life balance and support more women to become future leaders in family businesses. 

Read the research paper or find out more about the Royal Docks School of Business and Law.