Snacka om (o)synlighet : Familjeföretagarens nästa drag

Sammanfattning: The aim of this thesis is to identify and understand the phenomena of invisibility and visibility ((in)visibility) in families' situation in family business. As (in)visibility are phenomena that surrounds us in our every day life and the consciousness about them is limited, a critical perspective is embraced. By questioning the taken for granted in family business research, where only a female gender perspective on the phenomena is represented, this study involves 3 families - in total 11 individuals.The empirical material is collected from every family member´s life story furthermore platforms are created where the individual can change her/his consciousness about the phenomena. In the process, language creation builds up a vocabulary for expressing how (in)visibility influence feelings as well as actions. Inspired by Paulo Freire and interactive method the phenomena are discussed in 2 dialogues with the aim of reaching a critical stance and action. A mutual knowledge production occurs between the researcher and the family members. In an abductive way Johan Asplund serves as inspiration for identifying (in)visibility in the life stories, which discusses with the family members in dialogue (1).  In dialogue (2) discusses the impact of the study process from the attendants' perspective. Finally roles in and outside the business in connection to (in)visibility are interpreted with support from Erving Goffman´s theories.The study contributes theoretically and methodologically to the family business field by showing that (in)visibility has an impact on all family members and influences feelings, actions and the will to commit to the family firm, furthermore how sensitive topics can be researched in the future and how new subjectivities are created in the research process that up til now have been hidden. Outside the field of family business a contribution to entrepreneurship is made by seeing (in)visibility as a coping strategy moreover by developing a framework for identifying the phenomena an empirical contribution to social theory about (in)visibility comes through.