Capital resource-based resilience in post-pandemic hospitality: a comparison of family and non-family ownership

Purpose This study aims to (1) quantitatively examine whether family-managed firms demonstrate significantly higher overall organizational resilience than non-family-managed firms and (2) determine whether family-managed firms exhibit significantly higher resilience across six capital dimensions: economic, social, human, physical, natural and cultural. Design/methodology/approach Employing a quantitative research design, the study analyzes survey data from managers of independently operated hotels in Poland. Descriptive statistics and Mann–Whitney U tests assessed whether family-managed hotels exhibit higher overall resilience and greater resilience within each capital dimension compared to non-family-managed hotels. Additionally, a Generalized Linear Model (GLM) with hierarchical modeling controlled for contextual variables potentially influencing organizational resilience. Findings Contrary to family capital theory (FCT) expectations, family-managed hotels did not display significantly higher overall organizational resilience or consistently higher resilience across the six capital dimensions compared to non-family-managed hotels. Descriptive statistics revealed similar mean and median resilience scores between both ownership types. GLM analyses reinforced these conclusions, confirming that ownership type alone does not strongly or consistently affect capital resource-based resilience in small hotels. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge,this study offers one of the first multidimensional, quantitative comparative analyses of organizational resilience between family and non-family firms using FCT, critically revisiting theoretical assumptions and providing nuanced insights for resilience management in family businesses.