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Professor Nordqvist is a distinguished member of the House of Innovation's faculty, the SEB Chair in Entrepreneurship and Family Business and Inaugural Center Director of the Center for Family Enterprise. His award-winning paper, "Too Much of a Good Thing? Professionalization as a Multiple Practice Adoption Process", is co-authored with Matthias Waldkirch, Assistant Professor at EBS Universität für Wirtschaft und Recht, and Leif Melin, Professor Emeritus at Jönköping International Business School (JIBS).

"Professionalization is a critical yet complex journey for family-owned businesses. Our research delves into the intricate layers of this process, unveiling how owners and organizations navigate the tensions that arise during professionalization," Mattias Nordqvist says.

The paper embarks on an in-depth exploration, tracing the trajectory of organizational professionalization over time. It addresses the core question of how businesses and their owners grapple with the inherent challenges as they evolve. Rooted in a meticulously conducted single-case study, the research offers illuminating insights into the decade-long professionalization journey of a prominent Swedish family-owned enterprise.

Fresh perspective on professionalization

The study highlights a fresh perspective on professionalization, emphasizing the dynamic nature of the process and the crucial role of tension management within organizations. The paper presents a groundbreaking framework that identifies professionalization as a multi-practice adoption process, characterized by four distinct mechanisms of practice interaction. It also provides a comprehensive analysis of how pivotal organizational values can potentially transform under the influence of these practices.

"These findings shed light on the dangers of over-professionalization, which can lead to a shift away from the core mission of a family business. Recognizing the signs of professionalizing too much too fast is imperative to maintaining the essence of the enterprise," Mattias Nordqvist explains.

The Stockholm School of Economics takes great pride in Professor Nordqvist's dedication and significant contributions to the field of entrepreneurship and family business studies.