How to optimize the family system and enhance resource mobilization across generations is critical to business family.Based on the framework of “Structure—Interaction—Function” (SIF), this study uses fsQCA to analyze the configuration on the relationship between family system and transgenerational resource mobilization.

The research team conducted two rounds of data collection in Zhejiang, Hunan and other well-developed provinces in 2019 and 2021. The first round data collection was mainly questionnaires and formal interviews, and the second round was mainly formal interviews and informal communication. Family members were invited to fill up the questionnaire. Meanwhile, interviews from the family generation and non-family executives were used to data triangulation. In addition, the author also used the secondary data such as listed company statements and public news reports. Considering multiple reasons such as typicality, integrity and theoretical saturation, 22 cases were finally chosen.

Results show that, first, single family element does not constitute a necessary condition for high level of resource mobilization, and a well-combined family factors will lead to high level of resource mobilization. Second, only-child families whose parents adopt supportive and mentoring attitudes, or multi-child families whose parents encourage other children to set up a new business, will be likely to achieve a high level of resource mobilization. On the contrary, only-child families whose parents adopt an isolative and laissez-faire attitude, or multi-child families whose parents induce the sibling competition for resources, will be likely to lead to non-high level resource mobilization. Third, the combination of family factors leading to high level resource mobilization is not the opposite of the combination of family factors leading to non-high level resource mobilization, and this causal asymmetry shows the complex and heterogeneous mechanism between family system and firm system. This paper introduces the configurations to explore the combined impact of family multi-factors on transgenerational resource mobilization, reveals the multiple paths of how to nurturing the next generations, which has theoretical and practical implication.

The main contributions of this paper are as follows: First, it reveals the asymmetry, multi-path and interdependence of various factors of the impact of family system on entrepreneurial resource mobilization, and shows the heterogeneity and richness of business families. Second, it finds that emotional support and instrumental support have multiple combined impacts on resource mobilization, which provides empirical support for the view that entrepreneurs are embedded in their families. Third, using the fsQCA approach, it comprehensively analyzes the multi-path of family-driven second-generation resource mobilization from the three-dimensions of “Structure – Interaction – Function”, further develops the new paradigm of family business heterogeneity research, and deepens the understanding that family factors shape business families and then affect the family business they control.