Socialization Processes and the Construction of Professional Identity among Family Members in FamilyBusinesses: A Qualitative Analysis of Lived Experiences

This study explores how professional identity is constructed among next-generation members in family businesses through socialization processes rooted in the family environment. Drawing on the work–family interface literature and, in particular, family-to-work enrichment (FWE), the study adopts a processual perspective to gain a better understanding of how family influences translate into work resources.
Adopting a qualitative exploratory design based on eleven in-depth interviews with next-generation members in Belgian family firms, this research relies on reflexive thematic analysis. Preliminary findings suggest that socialization unfolds through early exposure to family models and values related to work and family, as well as through individuals’ active positioning toward these influences. These processes appear to shape how family-derived resources are interpreted, internalized, and mobilized in the work domain.

By focusing on socialization, this study extends FWE research beyond a static view of resource transfer by highlighting the underlying processes through which such resources are constructed and enacted. Furthermore, it offers valuable insights into family business research by emphasising the crucial role of identity construction in integrating next-generation members into the business.