scholarly journals Research on Chinese Family Businesses: Perspectives

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 579-597 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Chun Li ◽  
Ling Chen ◽  
Jess H. Chua ◽  
Bradley L. Kirkman ◽  
Sara Rynes-Weller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Family Firms ◽  
Extended Family ◽  
Family Businesses ◽  
Dark Side ◽  
Chinese Family ◽  
Business Organizations ◽  
Business Studies ◽  
Political Networks ◽  
Future Challenges ◽  
China’S Economy

ABSTRACTThis introduction traces the disappearance of Chinese family businesses from 1949 to 1978, their revival since then, and their future challenges. It then summarizes the three papers included in this Special Issue and proposes an agenda for family business studies in China. The article first focuses on the nonmarket social and political network strategies that these family-centered business organizations have had to adopt in order to overcome the difficulties they faced in accessing opportunities and resources as a result of Chinese culture's traditional low esteem for merchants and the government's continuing preference for a state-dominated economy. Family firms have so far been able to grow disproportionately rapidly in China's economy because, by leveraging the shared interests and dedication of immediate and extended family members, they have been able to achieve lower cost and higher efficiency, respond quickly to market changes, and expand social and political networks. These nonmarket strategies, however, also have a dark side. Furthermore, as the liberalization of China's economy deepens, competition must rely critically on market strategies such as innovation, alliances, and internationalization. The proposed research agenda addresses these future challenges as well as some research questions unique to Chinese family businesses.

Commentary and Extension: Moderating the Outcome of Identity Confirmation in Family Firms

2008 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 1083-1088 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabine B. Klein
Keyword(s):  
Family Firms ◽  
Extended Family ◽  
Family Businesses ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Moderating Variables ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Family Types ◽  
Dynamic Perspective ◽  
Related Group ◽  
Business Family

In this commentary, I provide suggestions for further refining the way we view and apply the identity confirmation concept to family businesses. I distinguish different family types, such as the core family, the extended family, the patchwork family, and the multigenerational kinship family. In addition, I concentrate on crucial life cycle points in the sense that a business family stays and works together usually much longer than any other work–related group. From a dynamic perspective, certain opportunities and risks in applying the identity confirmation concept become obvious for families in family businesses. Different moderating variables might distinguish whether identity confirmation results in positive or negative outcomes. These moderators point to important future research projects in the area of family business.

Linking psychological ownership to employee extra-role behaviours in small overseas Chinese family businesses

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Mustafa ◽  
Hazel Melanie Ramos ◽  
Thomas Wing Yan Man
Keyword(s):  
Family Firms ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Family Businesses ◽  
Psychological Ownership ◽  
Business Success ◽  
Chinese Family ◽  
Overseas Chinese ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of psychological ownership (both job and organisational based) on extra-role behaviours among family and non-family employees in small overseas Chinese family businesses. Design/methodology/approach – Empirical evidence was drawn from a survey of 80 family owners/managers and non-family employees from 40 small overseas Chinese family businesses from the transport industry in Malaysia. All proposed hypothesis were tested using hierarchical moderated regression analyses. Findings – Job-based psychological ownership was found to significantly predict both types of extra-role behaviours. Organisational-based psychological ownership, however, was only a significant predictor of voice extra-role behaviour. Interestingly enough, no significant moderating effects on the relationships between the two dimensions of psychological ownership and two types of extra-role behaviour were found. Originality/value – Having a dedicated workforce of both family and non-family employees who are willing to display extra-role behaviours may be considered as an essential component of business success and long-term continuity for many family firms around the world. This particular paper represents one of the few empirical efforts to examine the extra-role behaviours of employees in family firms from emerging economies.

Management accounting research in family businesses: a review of the status quo and future agenda

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kumudu Kapiyangoda ◽  
Tharusha Gooneratne
Keyword(s):  
Family Business ◽  
Family Firms ◽  
Management Accounting ◽  
Status Quo ◽  
Family Businesses ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Accounting Research ◽  
Informal Controls ◽  
Business Studies ◽  
The Status

Purpose This paper aims to review prior management accounting research founded upon family businesses. It presents the status quo, uncovers gaps in existing literature and postulates avenues for future scholarly inquiry. Design/methodology/approach In carrying out this review, a search was conducted accessing three search engines: Emerald insight, JSTOR and ScienceDirect encompassing journals which have published family business and management accounting research. Accordingly, 50 papers spanning 28 journals were identified as relevant and selected for review. Findings The review suggests that amid heightened research interest, while literature on management accounting in the realm of family firms has accelerated across time, how peculiarities of family businesses get articulated in the management accounting practices they deploy deserve further study. It also became evident that currently little is known on the use of various traditional and contemporary control practices, sustainability accounting and infusion of new management accounting ideas as well as the use of informal controls, which are very real to family businesses. Research limitations/implications This paper contributes to the on-going knowledge debates on management accounting in family businesses and provides directions to potential researchers by illuminating the status quo of research and issues of significance which so far has been neglected. Practical implications This review, being placed at the nexus of management accounting and family businesses, offers lessons and insights to family business owners, managers and policymakers for the smooth functioning of businesses using management accounting insights. Originality/value Although a vast majority of family business studies in management accounting and controls have been published from 2013 onward, existing reviews capture publications up to 2012. Building upon, yet moving beyond reviews to date, and encompassing latest publications, this paper advances our understanding on the state of management accounting research in the field of family business.

Approaches to Succession in East Asian Business Organizations

1991 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 161-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theodora Ting Chau
Keyword(s):  
Family Business ◽  
East Asian ◽  
Family Businesses ◽  
Chinese Family ◽  
Overseas Chinese ◽  
Business Organizations ◽  
Social Functions ◽  
Japanese Firms ◽  
Relevant Point ◽  
To Come

By concentrating on the approaches to succession in Japanese and overseas Chinese family businesses, this article attempts to come to terms with the question of why Japanese firms enjoy corporate longevity while overseas Chinese firms do not. Succession in the overseas Chinese family (coparcenary) is different from succession in Japanese families (primogeniture) at every relevant point, and these differences have important consequences for overseas Chinese family business. The article also discusses economic, historical, and social functions of the two inheritance systems.

Risk aversion in the family business: the dark side of caution

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 38-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin R.W. Hiebl
Keyword(s):  
Risk Aversion ◽  
Family Business ◽  
Risk Taking ◽  
Family Firms ◽  
Family Businesses ◽  
Business Leaders ◽  
Dark Side ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Family ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – This paper aims to shed light on the potential downsides of risk aversion in family firms. Moreover, it seeks to provide measures on how to balance risk taking and risk aversion in family businesses. Design/methodology/approach – The article first presents four “dark sides” of risk aversion in family businesses and then describes three groups of measures to balance risk aversion and risk taking. Both the dark sides as well as the measures to balance risk aversion and risk taking are derived from recent scientific research. Findings – Family businesses may decrease risk aversion and foster risk taking and innovativeness by creating transparency on their risk profiles and including outside knowledge in the form of non-family managers, directors or shareholders. Moreover, properly educating and integrating younger family generations might also alleviate an overly high focus on short-term risk aversion. Practical implications – Family business leaders might find the approach and findings presented in this paper helpful for securing the longer-term survivability of their firms and for improving innovativeness. Originality/value – This article is among the first to deal with the dark sides of risk aversion in family businesses, which might endanger their longer-term survivability.

Social capital in entrepreneurial family businesses: the role of trust

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 814-841 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry X. Shi ◽  
Deborah M. Shepherd ◽  
Torsten Schmidts
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Family Business ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Empirical Work ◽  
Family Businesses ◽  
Dark Side ◽  
Single Type ◽  
Chinese Family ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Relational Form

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide empirical insights to understanding trust as a relational form of social capital, and its effects on entrepreneurial processes, in small- and medium-sized family businesses. Design/methodology/approach – This paper adopts a qualitative case-study approach, with data from fieldwork interviews, observations, and secondary sources analysed by using interpretative methods. Findings – Although multiple types of trust exist concurrently in small- and medium-sized Chinese family businesses, it is interpersonal trust on the basis of goodwill and competence that prevails, while contractual trust is weak and marginal. Three patterns of trusting relationships are identified, each of which has both positive and negative effects on entrepreneurship and innovation in family businesses. There is a potential “dark side” of trust, which incurs extra cost and commitment to small- and medium-sized family businesses in their entrepreneurial processes. Research limitations/implications – Future research with larger sample sizes is suggested to generalise the insights, by using both qualitative and quantitative methods. More empirical work is needed to further clarify the antecedents of trust as a social capital and the potential “dark side” of trust in small- and medium-sized family businesses, particularly across generations. Practical implications – Family business owner-managers should try to avoid relying on a single type of trust, which may incur extra costs to the entrepreneurial processes. They need to better understand why they trust certain actors in their business and social networks before assigning resources to specific business activities. Policy makers are suggested to recognise the “benefits” of the traditionally family-oriented values and that kinship-based trust is also a relational form of social capital and can produce entrepreneurial outcomes. Originality/value – The paper critically reviews existing literature on social capital, trust, entrepreneurship, and family business at their point of intersection and identifies gaps and oversights. Drawing on case studies from China, the paper explores different patterns in which trust develops in second-generation small- and medium-sized Chinese family businesses and their varying effects on entrepreneurship.

The Role of Market Orientation and Organizational Capabilities of Family Businesses on Competitive Advantage

2020 ◽  
pp. 45-66
Author(s):  
Özgür Atılgan
Keyword(s):  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Market Orientation ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Family Firms ◽  
Family Businesses ◽  
Organizational Capabilities ◽  
Business Organizations ◽  
Management Ability ◽  
Almost All

Family businesses are described as organizations owned by one or more members of the same family. Most of the business organizations in the world consists of family firms. However, although they constitute a larger share in almost all of the economies, in their first 5 years of operation, 90% of the family businesses disappear. Of the remaining 10%, 67% die or change ownership after first generation. Only 12% survive under current ownership past the third generation. Therefore, in order to maintain the continuity of the business, family businesses have to achieve competitive advantage. One way to achieve competitive advantage is through becoming market oriented. In this connection, the purpose of this chapter is to identify the role of market orientation and the four basic organizational capabilities (entrepreneurial ability, management ability, global ability, and building partnerships ability) on gaining competitive advantage by systematically reviewing relevant concepts, thereby contributing to the existing literature.

Employer branding and psychological contract in family and non-family firms

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Duarte Pimentel
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Psychological Contract ◽  
Family Firms ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Family Businesses ◽  
Employer Branding ◽  
Privately Owned

This study compares the perceptions of employer branding and psychological contract levels of employees of family and non-family firms. Specifically, to better understand the dynamics of family businesses, we assess the extent to which employer branding perceptions have an impact on the employees' psychological contract levels. The empirical evidence is provided by a sample of 165 Portuguese employees (76 from family businesses and 89 from non-family businesses), working in small and medium-sized privately-owned companies. The results confirmed the research hypotheses, suggesting that employees of family companies have higher perceptions of employer branding and psychological contract levels than those of employees of non-family companies, also revealing that employer branding has a positive impact on the psychological contract levels of family firm’s employees.

Born to Rebel? The Owner Birth Order and R&D Investments in Chinese Family Firms

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen Helena Li ◽  
Jin‐hui Luo ◽  
Marco De Sisto ◽  
Timothy Bartram
Keyword(s):  
Birth Order ◽  
Family Firms ◽  
Chinese Family
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