New Research on Women Leaders in Family vs. Nonfamily Firms

Do women leaders experience greater success in family firms than in nonfamily firms?

According to new research by Eric Kushins, PhD, and Myriam Quispe-Agnoli, PhD, the answer is yes—and the reasons have less to do with individual leadership traits and more to do with organizational culture and legitimacy.

Dr. Kushins will join us and share results from the study, which finds that women-led family firms outperform women-led nonfamily firms. The research suggests this performance difference stems from how women leaders are perceived and supported inside organizations — not from differences in capability, ambition, or skill.

In nonfamily firms, women leaders are often evaluated through a narrow, gendered lens, which can limit their legitimacy and constrain their influence. In contrast, family firms tend to offer a broader cultural repertoire for understanding leadership. Because women have long occupied varied and meaningful roles within family enterprises, leadership is interpreted more flexibly and inclusively.