Abstract:

Ownership is a key decisive feature of behaviour of members who are involved in a business. Accordingly, this study focuses to understand the behaviour of family businesses’ managers who have a kinship to owners without having ownership rights to the business.  To detail the behaviour of managers, their personal objectives in line with business and family objectives were elaborated in theoretical lenses of psychological ownership. Twenty managers from twelve diverse family businesses were selected as respondents for interviews based on purposive sampling technique. Three main themes emerged, namely ‘business objectives focused’ behaviour, ‘family objectives focused’ behaviour and ‘self-identity’ in the data analysis. Results of the analysis indicated that managers from family without having legal ownership rights are exhibiting extra-role, stewardship and task performance behaviours which are important to short term performance of the business. Further, managers’ behaviour as benevolent leader have coordinated business, family and other stakeholders together to fulfil family and business requirements. Self-identity as a co-worker of the business and recognition as a legal owner are identified as claims of managers from owning family without having ownership rights of the businesses.