Organizational Hysteresis: A Nonlinear Variable of Resistance to Change in Project Management within Family- Owned Enterprises

This article proposes a theoretical framework to understand resistance to change in the management of strategic projects within family-owned businesses by introducing the concept of organizational hysteresis, drawing on a critical review of literature on institutional path dependence, structural rigidity, and strategic adaptation, the paper argues that family firms experience persistent and nonlinear forms of resistance to change. The study contributes to project management theory by positioning organizational hysteresis as a second-order explanatory variable, helping to explain adaptive lag in organizations with strong structural memory.