Experimental studies in family business research

Experimental studies are at the heart of scientific inquiry but have yet to gain their due recognition in the methodological repertoire of family business researchers. In this article we discuss the usefulness of experiments to further the development of family business science. We argue that well-developed experiments can enable family business scholars to not only scrutinize difficult-to-isolate relationships, but explore multilevel and causal processes that form the foundation of family firm heterogeneity. Hence, the purpose of this article is to draw researchers’ attention to the value of experiments in generating new and relevant insights in family firm contexts. Our work is intended to encourage, guide and inspire family business scholars to increase methodological variety in our field by carefully designing, evaluating and carrying out experimental studies.