Central European Business Review 2025, 14(2):119-137 | DOI: 10.18267/j.cebr.384

Leaders of Family Businesses and Their Team Roles

Ondřej Linhart ORCID...1, Petra Rydvalová ORCID...2
1 Technical University of Liberec, Faculty of Economics, Department of Business Administration and Management, Voroněžská 13, 460 01 Liberec, Czech Republic. Email: ondrej.linhart@tul.cz (corresponding author)
2 Technical University of Liberec, Faculty of Economics, Department of Business Administration and Management, Voroněžská 13, 460 01 Liberec, Czech Republic. Email: petra.rydvalova@tul.cz

Leadership in family businesses has unique characteristics due to the special culture that family business carries, such as the special family bonds that the leader has with the team, the strong influence of the leader on the “family” team and the high level of dependence of the whole family on the business success. These traits should be reflected in the leader’s approach towards teamwork. This research paper aims to identify these traits, more specifically, using the Belbin team role methodology, to identify which team roles are the most typical of family business leaders and which are rather rare or insignificantly represented. The Belbin Full Individual Report questionnaire was utilized, which compares self-evaluations with 360-degree feedback from four team members. Nine leaders of family businesses from the Czech Republic were analysed, and the results were subjected to a deeper statistical study with interesting findings. One of the main merits of this paper is the identification of the team roles Shaper, Coordinator and Resource Investigator to be typical for family business leaders, with the team roles Team Worker and Specialist being represented the least, which differs from the typical characteristics of a start-up leader; yet, an even deeper analysis with other results was carried out.
Implications for Central European audience: The implications of this study for Central European family businesses are that leaders typically occupy team roles such as Shaper, Coordinator and Resource Investigator. The low inclination towards Team Worker and Specialist roles suggests a reliance on complementary team members to fill these gaps. These findings can inform leadership development and succession planning, highlighting the need for balanced team compositions. Also, these findings contribute to the theoretical understanding of how leadership roles are distributed and function within family businesses, providing a framework for future research into team dynamics, complementary team roles of other members and leadership effectiveness in this context.

Keywords: Family firms; leadership; Belbin team roles
JEL classification: M12, M14

Received: July 5, 2024; Revised: August 5, 2024; Accepted: August 24, 2024; Prepublished online: November 16, 2024; Published: May 30, 2025  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Linhart, O., & Rydvalová, P. (2025). Leaders of Family Businesses and Their Team Roles. Central European Business Review, 14(2), 119-137. doi: 10.18267/j.cebr.384
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Anderson, N., & Sleap, S. (2004). An evaluation of gender differences on the Belbin Team Role Self-Perception Inventory. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 77(3), 429-437. https://doi.org/10.1348/0963179041752637. Go to original source...
    2. Anderson, R. C., & Reeb, D. M. (2003). Founding-Family Ownership and Firm Performance: Evidence from the S&P 500. The Journal of Finance, 58(3), 1301-1328. Go to original source...
    3. Bednár, R., & Ljudvigová, I. (2020). Belbin team roles in a start-up team. SHS Web of Conferences, 83: 01002. https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/20208301002. Go to original source...
    4. Belbin, R. M. (2010a). Management teams: Why they succeed or fail (3rd ed.). Butterworth-Heinemann.
    5. Belbin, R. M. (2010b). Team roles at work (2nd ed.). Butterworth-Heinemann.
    6. Belbin, R. M. (2012). Manažerské týmy: Proč některé uspějí a jiné selžou. Wolters Kluwer.
    7. Belbin, R. M., & Keeler, J. (Directors). (2020, September 8). An Introduction to Belbin Team Roles: Theory and Application [Video recording]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOUfUX6XL3c
    8. Bojanowska, A., & Zalewska, A. M. (2017). Happy Temperament? Four Types of Stimulation Control Linked to Four Types of Subjective Well-Being. Journal of Happiness Studies, 18(5), 1403-1423. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-016-9777-2. Go to original source...
    9. Čakrt, M. (2009). Typologie osobnosti pro manažery: Manažerské styly, rozhodování, komunikace, konflikty, týmová práce, time management a změny. Management Press.
    10. Čakrt, M. (2015). Typologie osobnosti: Přátelé, milenci, manželé, dospělí a děti. Management Press.
    11. Calabrò, A., & Valentino, A. (2019). STEP 2019 Global Family Business Survey REPORT: The impact of changing demographics on family business succession planning and governance. Retrieved from https://assets.kpmg.com/content/dam/kpmg/sa/pdf/2020/step-2019-global-family-business-survey-report.pdf
    12. Craig, J. B., Dibrell, C., & Davis, P. S. (2008). Leveraging Family-Based Brand Identity to Enhance Firm Competitiveness and Performance in Family Businesses. Journal of Small Business Management, 46(3), 351-371. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-627X.2008.00248.x. Go to original source...
    13. De Massis, A., Frattini, F., Majocchi, A., & Piscitello, L. (2018). Family firms in the global economy: Toward a deeper understanding of internationalization determinants, processes, and outcomes. Global Strategy Journal, 8(1), 3-21. https://doi.org/10.1002/gsj.1199. Go to original source...
    14. Eysenck, H. J. (1971). The structure of human personality (3rd ed., reprint). Methuen.
    15. Family businesses definition according to the Czech government. (2019, May 13). Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic. Retrieved from https://www.mpo.gov.cz/en/guidepost/for-the-media/press-releases/family-businesses-lived-to-see-the-definition-of-family-business-approved-by-the-government---246241/
    16. Fernandez Perez, P., & Colli, A. (Eds.). (2013). The Endurance of Family Businesses: A Global Overview (1st ed.). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139794848. Go to original source...
    17. Fries, A., Kammerlander, N., & Leitterstorf, M. (2021). Leadership Styles and Leadership Behaviors in Family Firms: A Systematic Literature Review. Journal of Family Business Strategy, 12(1): 100374. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfbs.2020.100374. Go to original source...
    18. Griffeth, R., Allen, D., & Barrett, R. (2006). Integration of family-owned business succession with turnover and life cycle models: Development of a successor retention process model. Human Resource Management Review, 16(4), 490-507. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2006.08.006. Go to original source...
    19. Jung, C. G., Winston, R., & Winston, C. (1995). Memories, dreams, reflections (A. Jaffé, Ed.). Fontana Press.
    20. Keeler, J. (Director). (2020). Explanation of the Belbin Individual Reports (Belbin 2020 Webinar Series) [Video recording]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIlS9VxUiQo
    21. Kogut, J. (2019). Strategical management of family business. The 13th International Days of Statistics and Economics, Prague, Czech Republic, September 5-7, 2019. Go to original source...
    22. Lansberg, I., & Gersick, K. (2015). Educating Family Business Owners: The Fundamental Intervention. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 14(3), 400-413. https://doi.org/10.5465/amle.2014.0254. Go to original source...
    23. Lievens, J., & Lerut, S. (2021, September 9). A Strong Owners Team: An asset for the family business. Family & Business Interface. Retrieved from https://digital.ffi.org/editions/a-strong-owners-team-an-asset-for-the-family-business/
    24. Littauer, F. (1997). Osobnosti plus: Jak porozumět druhým porozuměním sobě samým. Medium.
    25. Machová, K., & Procházková, P. T. (2017). The reality of family business in the Czech republic. Business trends, 3, 41-50.
    26. Maharani, A., Yokung, L. B., Ignasius, E., & Suwargo, N. (2021). Interrelationships Between Non-Family Business Members, Nepotism And Pride In Family Business Succession. Emerging Markets: Business and Management Studies Journal, 8(1), 41-55. https://doi.org/10.33555/embm.v8i1.168. Go to original source...
    27. Matěječek, M., & Klégrová, J. (2011). Praxe dětského psychologického poradenství (2nd ed.). Portál.
    28. Method, Reliability & Validity, Statistics & Research: A Comprehensive Review of Belbin Team Roles. (2014). Belbin. Retrieved from https://www.belbin.com/media/1158/belbin-uk-2014-a-comprehensive-review.pdf
    29. MPO ČR (2020, February 2). Definice rodinného podniku. Retrieved from https://www.mpo.cz/cz/podnikani/rodinne-podnikani/definice/definice-rodinneho-podniku--253096/
    30. Národní cena ČR za kvalitu v rodinném podnikání. (2024). Oficiální portál Rady Kvality ČR. Retrieved from https://www.narodniportal.cz/narodni-a-krajske-ceny/narodni-cena-kvality-cr/narodni-cena-cr-za-kvalitu-v-rodinnem-podnikani/
    31. Petlina, A., & Koráb, V. (2015). Family Business in the Czech Republic: Actual Situation. Trendy Ekonomiky a Managementu, 23(9), 32-42.
    32. Pszczólka, M. (2021). Rodinný podnik MY DVA. Posádka lodi na širém moři. Retrieved from https://mydva.cz/rodinny-podnik-my-dva-posadka-lodi-na-sirem-mori/
    33. Risky, A. (2021). Leadership style & management system in family business for Z generation workers. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Psychological Studies (ICPSYCHE 2020) (pp. 342-346). Atlantis Press. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.210423.050. Go to original source...
    34. Rohm, R. A., & Činčala, P. (2017). Pozitivní povahové profily (P. Činčala, Trans.). Akademie úspěchu.
    35. Sánchez Marín, G., Carrasco Hernández, A. J., Danvila del Valle, I., & Sastre Castillo, M. Á. (2016). Organizational culture and family business: A configurational approach. European Journal of Family Business, 6(2), 99-107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejfb.2017.05.002. Go to original source...
    36. Sandig, A. G., von Schlippe, A., Ruvireta, G., Raventós, J., Torelló, J. U., Rüsen, T., & Lledó, L. (2023). Familiy Business Knowledge. Retrieved from https://fbkonline.com/index.php?models-of-family-businesses
    37. Shams, M. (2022). Supporting the family business: A coaching practitioner's handbook (2nd ed.). Routledge. Go to original source...
    38. Skrbková, D., Rydvalová, P., & Linhart, O. (2023). Family business innovativeness: A tool for successful succession? In Proceedings of the 16th International Conference Liberec Economic Forum 2023 (pp. 152-161). Liberec, Czechia. https://doi.org/10.15240/tul/009/lef-2023-17. Go to original source...
    39. Strelau, J. (2008). Temperament as a regulator of behavior: After fifty years of research. Eliot Werner Publications.
    40. The Nine Belbin Team Roles. (2024). Belbin. Retrieved from https://www.belbin.com/about/belbin-team-roles
    41. Villalonga, B., & Amit, R. (2006). How do family ownership, control and management affect firm value? Journal of Financial Economics, 80(2), 385-417. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfineco.2004.12.005. Go to original source...
    42. Zellweger, T. M. (2017). Managing the family business: Theory and practice. Edward Elgar Publishing.

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY NC ND 4.0), which permits non-comercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


    Return to the content