Trusting the Gut or the Graph? Managerial Sensegiving and Technology Acceptance in Family Firms

Family firms in the contemporary landscape confront a paradoxical responsibility to incorporate advanced data-driven decision-support systems while preserving the intuitive judgement and socioemotional richness that constitute their core competitive identity. Although Business Intelligence (BI) is often perceived primarily as a technical resource, its role in transforming the sensemaking process and promoting employee acceptance remains significantly under-investigated. This research investigates the tension between "the gut and the graph" through a longitudinal case study of a family enterprise undergoing digital transformation. The findings indicate that the successful adoption of technology is not primarily determined by software design but by managerial sensegiving. By serving as interpretive mediators, managers reduce cognitive resistance and address the identity threats that arise when algorithms challenge conventional expertise. We conceptualise BI as a socio-cognitive framework that, when governed through inclusive sensemaking, facilitates the alignment of performance-oriented strategies with fundamental family values. This research advances the organisational behaviour literature by demonstrating how digital platforms can institutionalise familial influence as a unified strategic asset, effectively reconciling traditional organisational practices with the requirements of a data-driven future.