In this paper we use new venture creation in Indian family firms to explore the family
firm as an inter-institutional system. We argue that in societies where the traditional
family dominates social and economic life, the relationship between the two institutions,
the firm and the family, is managed via inter-institutional logics. These inter-institutional
logics help reconcile the tensions that often arise in the family firms during strategic
decision-making. We use archival and interview data on thirty-six new ventures in
eight Indian family firms to identify these logics. Our analysis shows that the
interaction between firm and family institutional logics in Indian family firms generates
four sub-logics: Economic, Expertise, Reputation and Attachment. These four logics
are used to frame and screen new venture opportunities and justify resource allocation