Risk and Resilience Theory Three. Danes and Brewton (Danes & Brewton, 2012) advanced the Sustainable Family Business Theory (SFBT) as a tested theory that explains the role of the family in entrepreneurial businesses. The theory focuses on sustainability as a measure of the success of the business and family functioning. The theory assumes that the business (i.e., farming enterprise) and family systems are subsystems of a family business system, with its resources and processes. The SFBT is built on the work of Patterson (year) illustrated in the FAAR model. SFBT differs from most business theories that focus on structures and family theories that focus on relationships. Rather, SFBT focuses on resource accumulation and the use over time, acknowledging that the use of resources in times of stability affects resource use in stressful times. A model of the theory is shown in Figure 11. We included this model because it is a theory that links the family and the farming business and places it within the context of the community. The SFBT theoretical framework may help Extension professionals across the agriculture program areas, family and consumer sciences, 4-H, community resource/economic development, and natural resource and conservation. The framework shows the importance of developing social, human, and financial capital, and resources over time for the personal/family and business side. Building skills that help support interpersonal and resource transactions are often the knowledge, skills, and behavior change outcomes Extension programming focuses on. The SBFT framework helps to illustrate the need for multi-program area collaboration in the development of effective programming. The theory also helps professionals think about the relationships of the farm business and the functioning of immediate and extended families. With its explicit components, professionals can devise strategies and incorporate content relevant to long-term family business and family sustainability. This theory also acknowledges the role that the community can play in supporting human, social and financial capital development. To develop partnerships to support farms and their families, Extension should look for partners who can assist in providing the necessary expertise and resources so together, the likelihood increases of creating positive outcomes for this audience.
Figure 11: Sustainable Family Business Theory (SFBT)
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