Real Versus Sample-Based Differences in Comparative Family Business Research

Abstract

This article analyzes the impact of not controlling for “demographic sample” differences on research results in the area of comparative family/nonfamily business research. Using different statistical methods with and without control for “demographic sample” differences, the results show that controlling for these firm demographics in a bivariate as well as a multivariate framework is very important to discover “real” differences between family and nonfamily firms. We found “real” differences for export, budgeting, variable reward systems, profitability and gender, educational degree, and tenure of the CEO. Strategy, networking, long‐term planning and control systems, perceived environmental uncertainty, growth, and management training, classified by prior empirical research as different between family and nonfamily firms, do not differ.

A socioemotional wealth perspective on innovativeness and performance of family businesses.

“…In fact, Melin and Nordqvist (2007) have expressed concern that if researchers do not take into sufficient account the heterogeneity within family firms, research findings may actually harm rather than benefit family businesses when owners apply them blindly to their idiosyncratic situations. On top of this, Jorissen et al (2005) point out that family businesses are not as different as studies comparing them with non-family businesses show. The authors also highlight that in many instances the observed differences between family and non-family businesses are not real, but instead are sample-based differences attributed to sample demographics.…”

Orientaciones competitivas culturales en la empresa familiar

“…Así, las empresas de propiedad y dirección familiar, con respecto a otras organizaciones suelen ser organizaciones más jóvenes y habitualmente tienen un menor tamaño en el mercado (Jorissen et al, 2005;Galve Por último, son empresas en manos de un propietario-director, que adopta el papel de fundador, y sienta las bases de la cultura organizativa en la empresa (Gersick et al, 1997;Schein, 1995). Y no sólo en la etapa en la que el fundador está al mando de la empresa, que suele larga y significativamente mayor a la de cualquier directivo en las otras empresas (Jorissen et al, 2005), sino también en etapas sucesivas, en las que las futuras generaciones, vinculadas a la gestión de la empresa, mantienen los valores asentados por la familia en etapas previas (Denison et al, 2004).…”

“…Por otro lado, el tamaño de estas organizaciones es significativamente mayor que en las empresas de propiedad y dirección familiar (Gersick et al, 1997;Galve y Salas, 2003), y los puestos de responsabilidad suelen estar ocupados durante un menor tiempo por los mismos directivos (Jorissen et al, 2005). Esto nos lleva a formular la primera proposición:…”

Management control in family firms: a guest editorial

“…These results complement existing findings on the adoption of management control practices in family firms. Such findings have so far mainly focused on performance management and budgeting (e.g., Moores 2005, 2010;Giovannoni et al 2011;Jakobsen 2017;Jorissen et al 2005;Speckbacher and Wentges 2012). The findings by Brück et al (2018) show that even for management control instruments which are the norm for large, listed firms-such as value-based management-family-business dynamics such as succession concerns and the inclusion of non-family managers decisively influence these instruments' adoption.…”