Abstract:
Copreneurial businesses represent one-third of family businesses. This article proposes to consider that marital governance induces a particular synergy, resulting from the partnership between spouses. By analogy with Habbershon and Williams's "familiness”, this synergy is here termed "coupleness" and defined as an idiosyncratic bundle of resources and skills resulting from the presence of the couple in the business. Furthermore, depending on the synergy created (positive or negative), "coupleness" could be "constructive" or "constrictive." Finally, the conclusion questions the potential application of the concepts of "coupleness" and "familiness" to all entrepreneurial contexts, and particularly to non-family businesses.
Keywords: Family businesses, copreneurial businesses, copreneurs, marital governance, coupleness, familiness
