Reframing Well-Being in Family Businesses During Crises: A Bibliometric Review Through a Stakeholder Theory Lens

Abstract This study addresses fragmented crisis research that treats well-being in family businesses (FBs) and stakeholder theory as separate domains. Using a bibliometric review with a framework-building orientation, we analyze 277 peer-reviewed articles (1998–2025). Our findings reveal uneven attention to stakeholder mechanisms (i.e. salience, alignment, and engagement) and to well-being across micro, meso, and macro levels. In most studies, well-being remains underdefined, and FBs are often treated as contextual rather than central actors. In response, we propose a multi-level, stakeholder-driven definition of well-being in FBs and develop an antecedents–outcomes framework linking crisis disruptions, stakeholder mechanisms, and well-being outcomes. We conclude with a future research agenda aimed at integrating stakeholder theory with multi-level approaches to crisis and well-being in FB contexts.