Nonfamily professional managers in family-owned firms operate within complex organizational environments shaped by the intersection of family and business logics. Positioned in top leadership roles such as president, CEO, or vice president, these managers navigate competing demands from family owners, external stakeholders, and the firm itself. This two-paper dissertation examines how nonfamily managers assess stakeholder salience and resolve conflict within these multifaceted contexts, extending both salience theory and conflict theory. The first study employs a multi-case inductive design to explore how nonfamily managers evaluate stakeholder salience amid competing expectations. Findings reveal that salience assessments are dynamic rather than fixed and are shaped by three interrelated conditions: values alignment between managers and family owners, variance in experience levels, and divergent financial priorities. Nonfamily managers operate within what emerges as a “crucible” of competing logics, where stakeholder importance shifts in response to internal and external pressures. This study extends salience theory by demonstrating the fluid and context-dependent nature of salience in family firms. The second study examines the types of conflicts nonfamily managers encounter and the resolution strategies they employ, drawing on the Dutch Test for Conflict Handling within the Dual-Concern theoretical framework. Conflicts most frequently arise with later-generation family owners and are often resolved through a forcing strategy grounded in managers’ relative experience, personal values, and commitment to the long-term viability of the firm. The findings extend Dual-Concern theory by introducing a third dimension—Concern for Us—which reflects nonfamily managers’ simultaneous consideration of self, others, and the collective well-being of the organization and its stakeholders. Together, these studies provide a cohesive understanding of how nonfamily managers navigate stakeholder salience and conflict resolution in family firms. By centering the often-overlooked perspective of the nonfamily leader, this dissertation contributes to management theory by highlighting the dynamic, multidimensional decision-making processes that arise when competing logics intersect. Practically, the findings offer insights for family firms seeking to better support nonfamily leaders and mitigate the structural conditions that generate competing demands.