Representações Sociais sobre as Relações de Parentesco: Estudo de Caso em um Grupo Empresarial Familiar

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to comprehend social representations of kinship relations in a group consisting oftwelve family firms from the pharmaceutical industry, located in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. In addition,the theory of social representations was employed as the methodological approach, in order to uncoverrepresentations produced by different actors about the influence of kinship relations on the family group. Theresults revealed the occurrence of two major representations: kinship as social integration and a mechanism forthe maintenance of the established organizational order, and kinship as a source of conflict. We concluded thatthe family businesses all shared aspects of contradictory practices and diverse objectives; at times focusing onbusiness objectives and needs, while at other times being dominated by personal and/or family desires. As such,it is difficult to develop formulas and analytical models to understand study objects such as the family businessgroup. This is because its actions are characterized by simultaneous subjective and objective aspects, in aconstant dynamic of interaction between family and business.

Keywords

• family business
• family
• kinship relations
• social representations.