The institutional context as a source of heterogeneity in family firm internationalization strategies: A comparison between U.S. and emerging market family firms

2022 ◽  
pp. 101972
Author(s):  
Carlos González ◽  
Ana González-Galindo
2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 78-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario Ossorio

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the propensity of family firms to join a cross-border acquisition as acquirers. Design/methodology/approach The present study analyzes a sample of 270 acquisitions in the period 2015–2017 whose acquiring firms are represented by family and nonfamily listed European firms. Findings The results point out that family firms are less likely to make a cross-border acquisition than nonfamily counterparts. Research limitations/implications Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity is cyclical by nature, represented by waves of concentrated intensity rather than necessarily by constant activity over time. Therefore, the main limitation is represented by the period analyzed (2015–2017), which restricts the possibility of seizing a greater number of transactions. Practical implications If careful evaluation leads to the consideration of M&A as the optimal mode of entry into a certain foreign market, family firms should broaden the pool from which managers are selected in order to access more qualified staff, who are able to face international M&As. Originality/value In recent years, a growing body of literature has focused on the effects of family ownership on the propensity of making an M&A, on the method of payment chosen by an acquired family firm, and on the reaction of the market at the announcement of a family business’ M&A. However, despite of the relevance of the entry modes of firms’ internationalization strategies, scant attention has been devoted to cross-border M&As conducted by family firms, which occur when a family firm acquires a firm located in a foreign country. In order to fill the research gap, this work investigates the likelihood of a family firm’s acquisition of a foreign target.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arpita Agnihotri ◽  
Saurabh Bhattacharya

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the association between chairperson hubris and the internationalization of firms belonging to business groups in an emerging market, India, under the boundary conditions of business group internationalization and the tenure of independent board members. Design/methodology/approachArchival data of 163 Indian family firms over a five-year period were used. FindingsThe study highlights the significance of chairperson hubris in determining the internationalization of family firms in India and the influence that business group internationalization and the tenure of independent board members have on the chairperson hubris and firm internationalization relationships. Originality/valueAlthough literature exists on drivers of internationalization, micro-foundations theories such as chairperson hubris have been less explored in the international business literature, especially in the context of emerging markets. Contribution to Impact


2018 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 274-281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sohrab Soleimanof ◽  
Kulraj Singh ◽  
Daniel T. Holt

Family firm institutional context is composed of institutions that originate from the family and the business. Hence, a confluence of family and business institutions, with varying degrees of salience, interact and influence entrepreneurial behaviors within family firms. We suggest an institution-based perspective for examining entrepreneurial behaviors and explain why an institutional perspective can deepen our understanding of the micro-foundations of corporate entrepreneurship within family firms. Furthermore, we elaborate on family institutions’ influence on entrepreneurial behaviors by highlighting these institutions’ impact on family members’ cognitions and abilities, as well as, family and nonfamily members’ interactions and relationships.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (20) ◽  
pp. 5721 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lixin Zhou ◽  
Yan Han ◽  
Chaoli Gou

This paper aimed to explore the effects of family ownership and management on Chinese family firm internationalization, and to examine the moderating effects of environmental munificence, institutional environment, and political ties in this relationship. A questionnaire survey of 274 family firms in 8 provinces or municipalities in China was conducted to test the proposed hypotheses empirically. The results were as follows: First, family ownership and management positively impacted the depth and breadth of internationalization. Second, environmental munificence weakened the effect of family ownership on the depth of internationalization, as well as on the effect of family management on the breadth of internationalization, but intensified the effect of family management on the depth of internationalization. Third, the institutional environment intensified the effects of family management on the depth and breadth of internationalization. Finally, political ties weakened the effect of family management on the depth of internationalization, but intensified the effect of family ownership on the breadth of internationalization. The contributions and implications of this study are also discussed.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 293-312
Author(s):  
Irfan Saleem ◽  
Irfan Siddique ◽  
Aqeel Ahmed

Purpose Socioemotional wealth (SEW) has emerged as the most differentiating aspect in family firms and has become the focal issue in family firm decision making. Family firms have to face the jeopardy of financial gains and socioemotional. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the different dimensions of SEW in developing the firm as corporate entrepreneurial and which dimensions engage stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach The authors designed a survey questionnaire to obtain primary data for the study using purposive sampling method. The study conducted on the family firm using the questionnaire to investigate for corporate entrepreneurship (CE), and stakeholder engagement (SE) depended on family control and influence, family identity, binding social ties, emotional attachment and renewal of family bonds. Findings The study identified different SEW factors affecting CE and SE. The authors found that binding social ties and renewal of family bonds has a statistically significant impact on SE, whereas family identity and social ties have a statistically significant impact on CE. Research limitations/implications The authors receive data from the CEOs with low response rate and expected to have better results with more observations. The same study been conducted in different parts of the world may give different results and a cultural bias may restrict the findings. Practical implications From the research, family firms can take twofold benefits. In short term, a family firm with better SE can generate satisfied employees with lesser turnover intentions. For long-term objectives with respect to CE, a firm can get a result in terms of market innovations through for better firm’s performance. Social implications Since her inception, Pakistan has emerged as a society of commodity traders and technology importers. This society can easily generate an import-driven business. Nonetheless this import-driven economy always remains under great economic distress due to limited potential for actual innovations and market disruptions. The family businesses of any emerging market like Pakistan need to learn CE and SE while safeguarding social-emotional wealth, thereby being successful as firm to become export-driven economy at large. Originality/value The study identifies different SEW factors that help in developing a firm as corporate entrepreneurial and stakeholder’s engagement. Findings of the study are valuable for managing the family firms in developing economies where the family structures are very vibrant and businesses have a clear dependency on family formations.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 1235-1258
Author(s):  
Ann Sophie K. Loehde ◽  
Andrea Calabrò ◽  
Mariateresa Torchia ◽  
Sascha Kraus

PurposeThe aim of this study is to advance knowledge on family firms' entry mode choices by examining the linkage between target market context, especially in the emerging economies of China and India, and the dominant family firm logic of keeping ownership and control in the family.Design/methodology/approachWe use an exploratory multiple case study analysis approach based on nine German family firms' internationalization endeavors. We use both primary and secondary data.FindingsTraditionally, extant research concludes that family principals prefer foreign direct investments (FDIs) in order to exert maximum control when entering international markets. In contrast, our study finds a clear preference for international joint ventures (IJVs) as an initial entry mode of choice into unfamiliar markets. Our findings propose this decision to be rooted in cultural unfamiliarity and the complexity of the target markets' legal environment. The effect of these two factors is amplified by prior IJVs experiences.Originality/valueThis article offers several original insights. First, we identify the triggers of the paradoxical IJVs’ entry mode choice among family firms and thus explain the motivation for breaking with the dominant family firm logic of maximizing control. Second, we account for factors in China's and India's particular emerging market environments. In the light of family control, the unfamiliarity with these markets triggers the decision to compensate for the high level of uncertainty by engaging in an IJV partnership. Third, our study shows that family firms are indeed willing to share control if it serves the long-term survival of the firm.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vidya Sukumara Panicker ◽  
Rajesh Srinivas Upadhyayula

PurposeThis paper attempts to examine the activity and involvement of board of directors in internationalization activities of firms in emerging markets, by evaluating the resource provisioning roles of interlocks provided by board of directors, and the frequency of board meetings. We demonstrate that the effectiveness of board involvement is contingent upon the levels of family ownership in firms since family ownership could impact the firm’s ability to utilize the presence of different types of board members.Design/methodology/approachThe authors test our hypotheses on a sample of listed Indian companies, extracted from the Prowess database published by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), a database of the financial performance of Indian companies. On a panel of 3,133 firm years of 605 unique Indian firms with foreign investments, over a time period of 2006–2017, the authors apply different estimation techniques.FindingsThe results demonstrate that both board meeting frequency and director interlocks are instrumental in supporting internationalization activities in emerging market firms. However, family ownership moderates the role of insider and independent interlocks on internationalization investments in different ways; the authors find that interlocks provided by independent directors support internationalization activities in family firms, whereas those provided by insider directors do not. Further, the study also finds that board meetings are less effective in internationalization of family firms.Practical implicationsThe authors conclude that family firms aiming at international diversification require to develop more connected and networked independent directors to enable internationalization in firms. While independent director interlocks enhance the international investments, it is also useful to know that board meetings are ineffective in utilizing the resources in family firms. This points to the possibility that family firms should device mechanisms to integrate family meetings with board meetings so that they can utilize the within-family processes to aid in their internationalization decisions.Originality/valueThe study contributes to resource dependence theory by understanding its limiting role in family firms. Theoretically, it helps delineate the limiting resource provision role of the insider directors vis-à-vis independent directors. The authors argue that the resource provision role of insider director interlocks does not effectively help in internationalization in comparison to independent director interlocks in family-dominated firms. Consequently, the study shows the limiting role of resource provision and utilization by family-owned firms in comparison to non-family-owned firms.


2021 ◽  
pp. 104225872110104
Author(s):  
Naciye Sekerci ◽  
Jamil Jaballah ◽  
Marc van Essen ◽  
Nadine Kammerlander

We study family firm status as an important condition in signaling theory; specifically, we propose that the market reacts more positively to positive, and more negatively to negative, CSR news (i.e., signals) from family firms than to similar news from nonfamily firms. Moreover, we propose that during recessions, the direction of these relationships reverses. Based on an event study of 1247 positive and negative changes in the CSR ratings for all firms listed on the French SFB120 stock market index (2003-2013), we find support for our hypotheses. Moreover, a post hoc analysis reveals that the relationships are contingent on whether a family CEO leads the firm.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Binz Astrachan ◽  
Isabel C. Botero

Purpose Evidence suggests that some stakeholders perceive family firms as more trustworthy, responsible, and customer-oriented than public companies. To capitalize on these positive perceptions, owning families can use references about their family nature in their organizational branding and marketing efforts. However, not all family firms actively communicate their family business brand. With this in mind, the purpose of this paper is to investigate why family firms decide to promote their “family business brand” in their communication efforts toward different stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach Data for this study were collected using an in-depth interview approach from 11 Swiss and German family business owners. Interviews were transcribed and coded to identify different themes that help explain the different motives and constraints that drive their decisions to promote the “family business brand.” Findings The analyses indicate that promoting family associations in branding efforts is driven by both identity-related (i.e. pride, identification) and outcome-related (e.g. reputational advantages) motives. However, there are several constraints that may negatively affect the promotion of the family business brand in corporate communication efforts. Originality/value This paper is one of the first to explore why family businesses decide to communicate their “family business brand.” Building on the findings, the authors present a conceptual framework identifying the antecedents and possible consequences of promoting a family firm brand. This framework can help researchers and practitioners better understand how the family business nature of the brand can influence decisions about the company’s branding and marketing practices.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Zulfiqar ◽  
Shihua Chen ◽  
Muhammad Usman Yousaf

PurposeOn the basis of behavioural agency theory and resource-based view, this study investigates the influence of family firm birth mode (i.e. indirect-established or direct-established), family entering time on R&D investment and the moderating role of the family entering time on the relationship between birth mode and R&D investment.Design/methodology/approachThe authors collected 2,990 firm-year observations from family firms listed on A-share in China from 2008 to 2016 in the China Stock Market and Accounting Research database. They used pooled regression for data analysis and Tobit regression for robustness checks.FindingsIndirect-established family firms show more inclined behaviour towards R&D investment than direct-established counterparts. Family entering time positively affects the R&D investment of family firms. Moreover, family entering time plays a significant moderating role in the relationship between family firm birth mode (i.e. indirect-established or direct-established) and R&D investment.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this work is a pioneering study that introduced the concept of family firm birth mode (i.e. indirect-established or direct-established) and family entering time. This work is novel because it differentiated family firms according to their birth modes, an approach which is a contribution to the existing literature of family firms. Moreover, the investigation of the moderating role of family entering time has also produced notable results that help understand the impact of family entering time on different types of family firms. The interpretation of outcomes according to behavioural agency theory also produced useful insights for future researchers as well as for policymakers.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document