Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurial activity, University support, Intentional models, GEM, Spain, G20, L50, M13,

PurposeGrounded in stewardship theory, this study explores the motives, actions and meanings of multiple stakeholders involved in an inter-family hospitality family firm succession.Design/methodology/approachA longitudinal, ethnographic case study approach collects data from 15 in-depth interviews, one year of observation and a one-month on-site internship.FindingsResults show that a well-defined succession plan and the active involvement of the successor/s in the succession process would foster a strong stewardship commitment to the family business. Moreover, a clear and open communication strategy is required to strategically manage rivalry and competition among potential successors during an inter-family succession.Originality/valueThe succession process of family firms remains an intensely discussed phenomenon, and despite its importance to the tourism and hospitality industry, the intersection between tourism and hospitality and family business literature is sparse. Notably, the tourism and hospitality literature lacks a multiple stakeholder perspective to holistically capture the motives, actions and meanings of numerous stakeholders involved in an inter-family succession.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the predominant form of firm in the economy worldwide, so it is becoming increasingly important to understand the role they play in the green transition. It is urgent to understand how SMEs establish their goals that reorient their strategies and activities towards the creation of greater environmental value. From a stakeholder perspective, this study analyzes the environmental and social goals that create value in SMEs. We identify family influence as an important determinant for the establishment of environmental goals in SMEs that has not been sufficiently studied. We tested the hypotheses in a sample of 132 Spanish SMEs. Our findings indicate that setting social goals and having family characteristics have a direct positive effect on the environmental goals of SMEs. In addition, family influence positively moderates the effect of social goals, increasing its effect in the establishment of environmental goals for the creation of value in SMEs. This is due to the desire of family SMEs to increase their socio-emotional wealth and their transgenerational intention by incorporating the requirements of stakeholders. These findings highlight the importance of particularly considering the family characteristics of SMEs when analyzing the role that SMEs play in the green transition and should also be important for policy makers when designing environmental policies.

This study applies a social identity and social network theory perspective to develop an integrated view of how hospitality firms incorporate family dynamics and tourism specifics as antecedents for good governance in the competitive hospitality industry. Seventeen qualitative semi-structured expert interviews with family hotel owner-managers in the province of Salzburg, Austria are systematically analyzed. The findings highlight the firms’ commitment to their destination as well as regional and social interactions originating both in the family dynamics of the firms and their strong embeddedness within their destinations as central factors for good governance. The results emphasize the need for entrepreneurial behavior and the involvement of family and non-family members in achieving effective governance structures.

No abstract