political crisis, and natural disasters all occurred, and we focused on who dealt with the situation and why. We heard powerful stories of these women’s experiences, the circumstances in which they found themselves, and how they resolved or managed such conditions. They revealed how and why gendered norms did or did not influence their approach and the (sometimes complex) underlying forces of gender in family business. This was important because previously women’s contributions were seen as limited to social activities, supporting male family business leaders. They were viewed as hosting social events for business purposes, or becoming actively involved in social club circles where their husbands are members. They have not been expected to play a direct influential role themselves. HIDDEN ROLES Our work revealed these women business leaders play an informal, covert, stewarding role, going beyond their expected gendered role at home. This stewardship role develops in parallel with a formal, and more visible, role in the firm. They went beyond expected gendered stereotypes and norms, without causing uncertainty about their objectives or responsibilities. Their ability to move between formal and informal roles reveals that stewardship approaches are transferred from the domestic sphere to the firm during a crisis, contributing to the continuity of family businesses. We also found women articulate their roles as active entrepreneurial stewards – shaping the way families engage in business, particularly when business continuity is threatened. We specifically identified three ways that women contribute to family business continuity: Embracing a stewardship role. Women actively engage in problem-solving strategies, acting on how different family members’ skills and bonds could be combined to benefit the business, and encouraging exchanges and communication among family members in times of crisis. Nurturing resilience. They foster a shared sentiment of entrepreneurial stewardship among family members when businesses are under threat. This is represented by a collective understanding of the importance of an entrepreneurial mindset and shaping a custodianship sentiment. Such sentiment, or emotion, revolves around a commitment to be involved in the survival of the firm by maintaining not only the family assets, but also the families’ unique ways of doing things. Shaping family and business networks. They purposefully, and selectively, create and strengthen formal commercial alliances, discreetly leveraging family and non-family relationships. In close family networks, this tends to be a discreet activity; in contrast, networking behaviours outside the family realm are deliberately and openly geared to help the business. These three elements contribute to shaping the role of women as entrepreneurial stewards, affecting dramatically the continuity of a family firm. CRISIS MODE The critical situations we examined proved an opportunity for women to shape a stewardship approach. What we saw is that they can play a key role at critical times by making thoughtful, strategic decisions about family assets. They can turn into powerful network actors within and outside the family itself. When they take on formal company roles, they become visible in the business environment, yet their unique role contributing to the continuity of the firm can remain hidden. The women in our study strike a delicate balance by making decisions whilst observing traditional and socially expected gender norms. Women should not be cast as victims or special cases in the Latin American family business context. They are potential builders of resilience and continuity; they influence family business continuity, ensuring harmony and strengthening bonds within the family. The public perception of these women as only taking supporting roles for male leaders does not always match the private reality, in which they can be crucial to businesses surviving and thriving. FIFTY FOUR DEGREES | 25 Dr Allan Discua Cruz is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Entrepreneurship and Strategy, and the Director of the Centre for Family Business. The article Women’s entrepreneurial stewardship: The contribution of women to family business continuity in rural areas of Honduras, by Dr Allan Discua Cruz, Professor Ellie Hamilton and Professor Sarah Jack, of Lancaster University Management School; and Dr Giovanna Campopiano, of the University of Bergamo, is published in the Journal of Family Business Strategy. a.discuacruz@lancaster.ac.uk
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