Background:Top management teams (TMTs) in family firms (FFs) have received limited attention inresearch. They are however argued to play a critical role for FFs. TMTs are also argued to playan important role in is innovation, despite this, while research within TMTs in FFs has gainedan increased interest, there is a gap in the understanding of cohesion within TMTs and how itinfluences innovation. The paper attempts to fill this gap.

Purpose:The purpose of this paper is to research how high levels of cohesion in FF TMTs influencesinnovation.

Method:The research strategy for this study was qualitative case study. The empirical material used forthe study has been gathered through 5 semi-structured, in-depth interviews with one familyfirm. The method by (Gioia, Corley & Hamilton, 2012) was followed to code the data.

Conclusion:The findings were threefold, the first one is that high levels of cohesion put more emphasis ontrust instead of formal power which influences innovation by determining who makes decisions.The second one is that high levels of cohesion results in easier agreements which could causegroupthink. The third is that high levels of cohesion can make companies more inclined to relyon inside knowledge and in turn, focus their attention on exploitative innovations.