https://doi.org/10.1177/0170840619836707 Organization Studies 1–28 © The Author(s) 2019 Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions DOI: 10.1177/0170840619836707 www.egosnet.org/os In a Family Way? A model of family firm identity maintenance by non-family members Julia Vincent Ponroy IPAG Business School, France Patrick Lê NEOMA Business School, France Camille Pradies EDHEC Business School, France Abstract Focusing on the case of a successful French pharmaceutical family firm – VetCo, we develop a process model of family firm identity maintenance by non-family members. Being the first family-owned pharmaceutical actor exclusively dedicated to animal health worldwide, VetCo has a strong family firm identity. The maintenance of this identity is remarkable, as VetCo experienced a withdrawal of the owning family when its founder suddenly passed away and, later on, when other family members disengaged from operations. Using grounded theory, we build a process model of identity maintenance that emphasizes meaning multiplicity. Specifically, we identify three main mechanisms of meaning preservation – passing on the family legacy, unifying the metaphorical family and modelling the family business – and two mechanisms of meaning connection – holding on and bridging. In elaborating theory on family firm identity maintenance, this study contributes to family business and organizational identity scholarships. Keywords family firm, family firm identity, non-family members, organizational identity Introduction I don’t know how it works in 250-year-old family firms. I don’t know how VetCo will be in 15 or 30 years. I think that there is, however, a spirit in the company that perpetuates itself. (Interview with a non-family member) Corresponding author: Julia Vincent Ponroy, Assistant Professor at IPAG Business School, 184, Boulevard Saint-Germain, 75006, Paris, France. Email: juliavincentponroy@gmail.com 836707OSS 0 0 10.1177/0170840619836707Organization StudiesVincent Ponroy et al. research-article 2019 Special Issue: Advancing Organization Studies in Family Business Research