The existing body of literature on family business studies has expanded considerably. However, despite numerous literature reviews in past research, certain aspects, such as the evolving conceptual patterns in the field and the theories that guide it, remain unexplored. This article aims to uncover the conceptual patterns and theoretical foundations shaping the field, highlighting influential sources, institutions, countries, and authors within the realm of family businesses. The research utilizes bibliometric analyses and qualitative content analysis. Our findings determined that family business research produced its first theoretical studies between 1996 and 2004 (the first period), focusing on management, altruism, and agency issues during this period. During this period, agency theory dominated the field. In the period 2005–2013 (second period), we identified the following as emerging concepts in the field: diversification, entrepreneurship, family capital, family values, family involvement, relationship conflict, stewardship, succession, commitment, and psychological ownership. The dominant theories during this period were agency theory, resource-based theory, management theory, and institutional theory. In the third period, the prominent topics are the following: dynamic capabilities, stewardship, familiness, family dynamics, non-family employees, top management team, governance, trust, sustainability, corporate social responsibility, family management, family ownership, social capital, internationalization, corporate entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial orientation, family influence, knowledge sharing, board of directors, succession planning, succession process, emotions, gender, family control, and heterogeneity. In this period, in addition to the theories in the previous period, Socio-Emotional Wealth theory, social identity theory, social capital theory, stakeholder theory, and upper echelon theory are dominant in the field. The article concludes with recommendations for future research directions.

现有的家族企业研究文献已经大大扩展。然而，尽管过去的研究中有大量文献综述，但某些方面，例如该领域不断演变的概念模式和指导该领域的理论，仍未得到探索。本文旨在揭示塑造该领域的概念模式和理论基础，重点介绍家族企业领域内有影响力的来源、机构、国家和作者。该研究利用文献计量分析和定性内容分析。我们的研究结果表明，家族企业研究在1996年至2004年（第一时期）期间产生了第一个理论研究，重点关注这一时期的管理、利他主义和代理问题。在此期间，代理理论占据了主导地位。在2005年至2013年期间（第二期），我们确定了该领域的新兴概念：多元化、创业精神、家庭资本、家庭价值观、家庭参与、关系冲突、管理、继承、承诺和心理所有权。这一时期的主导理论是代理理论、资源基础理论、管理理论和制度理论。第三阶段的突出议题有：动态能力、管理、家族、家族动态、非家族员工、高层管理团队、治理、信任、可持续发展、企业社会责任、家族管理、家族所有权、社会资本、国际化、企业创业、创业导向、家族影响、知识共享、董事会、继任计划、继任过程、情感、性别、家族控制和异质性。这一时期，除了前一时期的理论外，社会情感财富理论、社会认同理论、社会资本理论、利益相关者理论、高层理论等在该领域占据主导地位。文章最后对未来的研究方向提出了建议。