Crossroads of family business research and firm demography—A critical assessment of family business survival rates

Survey Response Rates in Family Business Research

“…However, from prior research, we know that surveying top executives such as owner‐managers usually leads to lower response rates compared to surveying actors situated at lower levels of corporate hierarchies (e.g., Cycyota and Harrison, ; Anseel et al, ; Hiebl and Richter, ). As a consequence of these specifics of family business surveys, Stamm and Lubinski () assert that response rates are usually low in family business survey research. Low response rates can make it more difficult for a paper to be published in highly regarded business and management journals because they may indicate threats to the validity and reliability of the findings extracted from the surveys.…”

“…Based on these general observations, we expect that the family or non‐family status of respondents will also have an effect on response rates in family business survey studies. In particular, we expect lower response rates for surveys including family respondents because family members are portrayed as often being very secretive in regard to disclosing data about their firms (Stamm and Lubinski, ; Wilson et al ., ), whereas non‐family respondents may be more accustomed to disclosing information about their employer firms based on earlier career experience in non‐family firms and are not as committed to family‐related goals, such as secretiveness (cf. Tabor et al ., ).…”

Intergenerational ownership succession

“…Loyalty to the family and local community may be lost, and long-term commitment to the business may not be maintained (Astrachan, 1988;Bjuggren & Sund, 2001;Pollak, 1985). However, despite the importance of family-owned businesses, only about 30% are transferred to a founder's descendants (Beckhard & Dyer, 1983;Lansberg, 1988;MassMutual, 2002), although recent research results indicate that the 'survival' rate from the first to the second generation of family-owned businesses may be higher (Stamm & Lubinski, 2011). Nevertheless, a low rate of intergenerational ownership succession highlights the importance of improving our understanding of ownership succession to facilitate the process for business families.…”

Identifying as an outsider: implications for nonfamily in small family firms

“…Investigation into the social identity of these individuals produces a far more nuanced picture. Step-son 1 and step-motherdirector/owner; father -external advisor (not employed) Following generational trends of family firm survival (Stamm & Lubinski, 2011), three of the respondents work in first generation family businesses, two in second generation, and one (Jennifer) in the most established organisation represented: a third generation insurance broker founded by the owner cousins' grandfather, and passed through one of the cousin's fathers.…”