Abstract:By integrating literature on family functionality, family firms, and socioemotional wealth (SEW), we develop a theoretical model explaining how family functionality and SEW dimensions influence firm innovativeness. Our multigroup structural equation model on two samples of family small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) shows that family functionality is positively linked to SEW, whereas divergences emerge on the effect of different SEW dimensions on innovativeness. Binding social ties, the emotional attachme… Show more
“…Pioneering studies highlight the relevance of family structures (Aldrich & Cliff, 2003) and the family system (Olson et al, 2003) to understand family firm behavior and outcomes, and a recent study shows the implications of family functionality for family business innovativeness (Filser, De Massis, Gast, Kraus, & Niemand, 2017). However, we still lack a comprehensive overview linking the main family science theories and relevant dimensions of family heterogeneity to enable understanding the influence of family involvement (Jaskiewicz & Dyer, 2017), which may help us theorize how such involvement exercises its effect on family business behaviors and outcomes through a direct effect on the family's behavioral propensities.…”
Research Summary: Research on the internationalization of family firms has flourished in recent years, yet the mechanisms through which family involvement shapes the determinants, processes, and outcomes of internationalization remain little understood and largely undertheorized. We contribute to research at the intersection of international business and family business by examining the roles of different sources of family firm heterogeneity and the context in shaping the determinants, processes, and outcomes of business internationalization. Drawing on this analysis, we summarize the articles published in this special issue and set out an agenda for further research aimed at advancing a more fine‐grained and contextualized understanding of internationalization in family firms.
“…Pioneering studies highlight the relevance of family structures (Aldrich & Cliff, 2003) and the family system (Olson et al, 2003) to understand family firm behavior and outcomes, and a recent study shows the implications of family functionality for family business innovativeness (Filser, De Massis, Gast, Kraus, & Niemand, 2017). However, we still lack a comprehensive overview linking the main family science theories and relevant dimensions of family heterogeneity to enable understanding the influence of family involvement (Jaskiewicz & Dyer, 2017), which may help us theorize how such involvement exercises its effect on family business behaviors and outcomes through a direct effect on the family's behavioral propensities.…”
Research Summary: Research on the internationalization of family firms has flourished in recent years, yet the mechanisms through which family involvement shapes the determinants, processes, and outcomes of internationalization remain little understood and largely undertheorized. We contribute to research at the intersection of international business and family business by examining the roles of different sources of family firm heterogeneity and the context in shaping the determinants, processes, and outcomes of business internationalization. Drawing on this analysis, we summarize the articles published in this special issue and set out an agenda for further research aimed at advancing a more fine‐grained and contextualized understanding of internationalization in family firms.
“…The influence of family functionality in family firm performance is partially mediated by the effect of shared vision and role clarity. Danes and Morgan (2004); Gudmunson and Danes (2013); Neff (2015); Filser et al (2018).…”
Section: Family Functionalitymentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Levels of family functionality (Danes & Morgan, 2004;Filser, De Massis, Gast, Kraus, & Niemand, 2018) can be also considered as evidence of the relational dimension. Family functionality is important in shaping family members' goals and behaviors (Filser et al, 2018).…”
Section: Family Functionalitymentioning
confidence: 99%
“…The relational resources of altruism (Eddleston & Kellermanns, ), trust (Eddleston & Morgan, ; Sundaramurthy, ), and fairness perception (Heyden et al., ) are characteristics of a collaborative family business. Levels of family functionality (Danes & Morgan, ; Filser, De Massis, Gast, Kraus, & Niemand, ) can be also considered as evidence of the relational dimension. Family functionality is important in shaping family members’ goals and behaviors (Filser et al., ).…”
The overlap between family and business systems creates a particular bundle of resources, which is a specific familiness that may determine how family firms positively or negatively manage their conflicts. In this article, we review the current research on conflict management and family firms and suggest theoretical propositions about the influence of familiness in constructive conflict management in family firms. We propose that specific levels of structural, cognitive, and relational dimensions of familiness configure a specific arrangement of resources that we conceptualized as collaborative familiness, which enhances constructive conflict. We discuss the main implications of this conceptualization in terms of its theoretical contributions, further research, and practice.
“…Research on innovation in small‐ and medium‐sized family enterprises (family SMEs) is growing rapidly, seeking to determine how family ownership affects innovation inputs as well as innovation outputs (Block et al ; Carnes and Ireland ; Filser, De Massis, Gast, Kraus, Niemand ; Kassicieh et al ; Kotlar et al ). Yet existing studies report inconsistent findings when it comes to the effect of family ownership on innovation (De Massis et al ).…”
What makes small‐ and medium‐sized family firms (family SMEs) innovative? Some family firm dynamics promote, yet others hinder innovation. It remains unclear whether combinations of family firm dynamics increase innovativeness. Our configurational perspective of socioemotional wealth (SEW) unravels determinants of family SMEs' innovativeness. We conduct a fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis with 452 Swiss family SMEs. We categorize SEW dimensions into configurations of necessary and sufficient conditions. We contribute to theory on family SMEs' innovativeness because we reveal that the interplay of SEW dimensions leads to innovativeness. This offers practitioners a better framework to choose between SEW configurations.
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